State of the Schools

Report

2009-2010

Wellesley Public Schools 40 Kingsbury Street

Wellesley, MA 02481

Bella T. Wong, Superintendent

The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of the 2009-10 year in the Wellesley Public Schools including highlights, trends, and measurements of student performance and participation. The intent is to provide Wellesley citizens an overview and insight into the Town’s school system. It is our hope that the annual report will provide a baseline for the schools and the entire community of Wellesley to reflect upon in years to come.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR Personnel • Linda Waters, previously Pre-K-12 Director of Student Services in Franklin, was

appointed Pre-K – 12 Director of Student Services succeeding Ellen Honeyman who had been an interim Director for two years.

• Carolyn Markuson, a former school librarian and school library consultant, was reappointed Interim K-12 Director of Libraries.

• Several new middle and high school administrators were appointed: Mark Ito, Middle School English Department Chair; and for the High School, Amy Anderson, English Department Chair; Debi Levine, Special Education Department Chair; Mike Reidy, Social Studies Department Chair; and Julie Trask, Guidance Department Chair. After full and exhaustive searches, each of these administrators was selected from among current Wellesley School Department faculty.

• 36 new classroom educators were welcomed to the school district. • No contracts were up for negotiation this school year. Operations • The 2009 Spring Annual Town Meeting approved an increase of 3.1% for the FY10

School Department Budget. During the fall of 2009, projected State “circuit breaker” funding to be made during FY10 was dramatically reduced. These payments assist towns with a portion of the costs of educating children with special needs. The reimbursement rate for these costs above a certain per student threshold was reduced from the 70% level used to prepare the town’s FY10 budget, to the 40% level. The School Department used stimulus funds to make up for the shortfall in circuit breaker funding in FY10. Remaining stimulus funds have been distributed to cover other expenses in FY10 and will be used for certain projected needs in FY11 and FY12.

• In the prior fiscal year, Governor Deval Patrick made three mid-year reductions to the

FY09 state budget affecting local aid. There were no such mid-year reductions in FY10. However, funding to the METCO program was again reduced by another 5% after a year in which it had a 14% reduction in funding. Reallocation of METCO budget lines and additional support from private donors and the Friends of Wellesley METCO again mitigated the impact of these reductions for FY2010. These supports were critical to sustaining the METCO late bus and after school academic programs. A portion of federal stimulus funds was allocated to cover a small portion of personnel costs as a short-term solution for FY10.

• In a challenging year of finance, with careful oversight and management, the School Department ended FY20101 with an operational budget surplus of approximately $31,015. These funds were turned back to the town and reverted to the town’s free cash.

• The School Committee and Town Meeting approved an FY11 operating budget in the

amount of $55,031,413, which represents an increase of 3.3% over FY10. For the first time, the Advisory Committee provided the School Committee bifurcated budget guidelines. The guideline for the Schools’ general operating budget, excluding special tuition and transportation, was 1%. The Advisory Committee developed a separate guideline for the special tuition and transportation (ST&T”) portion of the budget, which includes tuitions for out-of-district placements, as well as the costs of the intensive special education programs run within the Wellesley Public Schools and the cost of transportation required for students with special needs. The Advisory guideline for ST&T allowed for an FY11 increase in the actual amount of lost circuit breaker funding for FY11 (projected to be $669,000) reduced by any stimulus funds that could be applied to the loss in circuit breaker funding (approximately $325,000 for FY11). After giving effect to those amounts, the permitted increase under the Advisory guideline for ST&T was $344,000 and the effective Advisory guideline for the overall School budget was approximately 1.5%. A level service budget would have required a 5.3% increase over FY10. However, the School Committee reduced the budget increase to 3.3% through favorable cost saving developments, significant expense reductions, removing from the budget library books and much of the funding for new technology, increasing fees, reducing high school dedicated busing, and implementing a new therapeutic program for students with intensive special needs at the elementary level.

• The School Department’s FY09 capital budget did not provide sufficient funding for

technology needs. Private donors, PTOs and the Wellesley Education Foundation came forward generously with funding for interactive whiteboards (SmartBoards) and document cameras (Elmos), bolstering what was then a minimal inventory of these items and impacting 33% of the classrooms across all schools.

• The Town Human Resources Board engaged a consultant to review the structure and

status of the Facilities Maintenance Department. As a result, a task force including members of the School Committee, the Board of Selectmen, the Superintendent and the Executive Director was convened to review the current structure and function of the Facilities Department. This work is ongoing.

Building Projects • In the second summer phase of a three-year debt exclusion funded project to address

infrastructure and building envelope needs in the elementary schools, boilers were 1 FY2010 is the fiscal year covering July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

replaced at Fiske, Schofield, and Upham. Floor and partial ceiling abatement were completed at Hunnewell, Schofield and Upham Schools. Over the three-year period, refurbishments will include new roofs, boilers, windows, ceilings and floors; and asbestos abatement.

• Additional middle school classroom space was created out of a computer lab and

teacher meeting space displacing the district’s sole dedicated space for professional development and two department head offices. Additional laptops were purchased to mitigate the loss of the computer lab.

• Renovations were successfully completed at the high school to address increasing

enrollment. Five additional classrooms were created from conversion of the lecture hall while retaining a portion for the drama classroom.

• Construction of the new High School began smoothly during the summer of 2009 with

clearing and excavation of the site. The current school was opened on time with all satellite parking fully operational for staff only. Due to site constraints all student parking was eliminated. Anticipating an increase in drop off and pick up traffic and to encourage bus ridership, the School Committee increased the number of buses from 4 to 6, capped the cost of the bus fee to $250 (less than half of actual cost), and doubled the number of runs by adding runs at 8:30 and 3:30. Bus ridership, however, did not increase significantly and many students were able to find alternate parking spots located off of school property. By June 30, 2010 the steel beam installation was well underway. The project remained on time and on budget during this year.

• A School Building Committee was formed to evaluate the options to address space

needs to support the educational program for the projected enrollment growth at the Middle School. At the 2010 Annual Town Meeting, the Middle School SBC withdrew from consideration a plan to address space needs through modular classrooms on Donizetti Street. The SBC’s efforts to determine the appropriate space options continued through the summer with a goal of developing a solution for consideration at a 2010 Fall Special Town Meeting.

Academics • The decennial review of the English/Language Arts curriculum was completed in

2010. The elementary schools continued implementation of a new math curriculum in grades K-2 in the 2009-10 school year. As a follow-up to the Performing Arts curriculum review completed in 2009, the Performing Arts Department continued working to revise written curriculum at all grade levels.

• The elementary schools successfully initiated a three-day environmental education

program for 5th graders at the Hale Reservation in Westwood, Massachusetts, to replace the program previously held at Thompson Island Education Center.

• High School Principal Andrew Keough submitted a required follow up report by

July 1, 2009 to the NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) to summarize work to date and preparation to address recommendations received from the NEASC accreditation team the prior spring. As a result, NEASC removed the high school from warning status for curriculum. This was an unusually quick change of status after a period of just three months. Although many commendations were received in the areas of high academic expectations, core values, supervision and evaluation of teachers, use of technology to support the curriculum, and range of course offerings, the high school does remain in warning status for assessment and facilities. The next update due is the typical post two-year submittal due on October 1, 2010.

• Virtual High School was fully launched at the high school this year. Virtual High

School offers students the opportunity to take courses on-line for full high school credit in a broad range of subjects including introductory to advanced placement levels. Enrollment was lower than hoped this first year and changes have been implemented to support improvement for the FY11 school year.

• Educators of the Wellesley Public Schools applied for and received $112,000 in grants

awarded by Wellesley Education Foundation (WEF). These grants provided benefits across all grade levels. More details about the grant programs administered through WEF are posted at www.WellesleyEducationFoundation.org.

Public Health • Working with local and state health and public health departments, the school year

began with a great deal of preparation in anticipation of possible consequences from a recurrence of H1N1 flu outbreaks. Consistent with public advisories from the state, the Wellesley Health and School Departments prepared for in-school vaccination clinics. Due to an indeterminate flu vaccine supply, the clinics were delayed until mid-winter when the flu season was already underway. The flu season was significantly milder than anticipated and so the delay did not result in high absenteeism due to influenza illness. When the vaccine supply allowed for flu clinics to eventually take place, they went very smoothly although complicated by the processing of complex informed consent forms, double dose requirements for children below the age of 10 and short turn around times for set up at each school.

SYSTEM TRENDS

Important to the quality of service offered through the Wellesley Public Schools is the adherence to its class size guidelines. Class size guidelines are: grades K-2: 18 to 22 students; grades 3-5: 22 to 24 students; and grades 6-12: 22 students. As of October 1, 2009, 6 out of 116 elementary classrooms were over guidelines.

Overall, the School Department budget represents 45.7% of total Town of Wellesley budget for FY10; it does not include shared costs nor does it include the School’s portion of centralized facilities. The following charts depict budget increases and other tends over a period of time.

Over the last five years, from FY06 to FY10, the portion of the budget related to Special Tuition and Transportation has increased from 7.5% to 8.7%.

STUDENT PERFORMANCE

ELA Math Sci & Tech ChemistryGr3 79 68Gr4 78 72Gr5 97 78 55

Gr3 71 71Gr4 77 66Gr5 91 79 58

Gr3 80 78Gr4 85 62Gr5 85 73 52

Gr3 78 69Gr4 89 61Gr5 80 75 53

Gr3 75 67Gr4 83 62Gr5 82 77 37

Gr3 74 71Gr4 92 84Gr5 97 87 84

Gr3 76 70Gr4 70 56Gr5 95 94 73

Gr3 76 70Gr4 83 67Gr5 89 80 58

Gr6 92 79Gr7 92 66Gr8 96 73 44

High School Gr10 97 95 Not Administered 77

9/30/09

Middle School

District

MCAS 2009 School Results% Scoring at Advanced and Proficient Levels

Not

Adm

inis

tere

d

Not Administered

Not Administered

Not Administered

Bates

Fiske

Not Administered

Not Administered

Not Administered

Not Administered

Not Administered

STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Students in grades 3 through 10 now take MCAS tests. The test score categories are Advanced, Proficient, Needs Improvement, or Warning across categories in language arts, math, and science. Students must achieve a score that is Proficient on the 10th grade tests in each of these categories to fulfill a state requirement for graduation.

MCAS

Not Administered

Schofield

Sprague

Upham

Hardy

Hunnewell

Test Yr - 2010 Test Yr - 2009 Test Yr - 2008 Test Yr - 2007 Test Yr - 2006Subject # Tests Avg # Tests Avg # Tests Avg # Tests Avg # Tests Avg

Art History X X X X X X X X 1 3.000Biology 43 4.357 40 4.275 91 3.659 61 3.902 54 4.056Calculus AB 25 4.440 44 4.386 39 4.174 32 3.969 48 3.938Calculus BC 19 4.632 18 4.722 22 4.182 20 4.550 20 5.000 Calculus AB (subscore)** 19-n/a 4.895 18-n/a 4.889 22-n/a 4.455 20-n/a 4.800 20-n/a 5.000Chemistry 23 4.130 12 4.000 22 3.909 15 4.067 21 4.095Comp Science A X X 15 3.800 X X 9 3.778 X XComp Science AB X X X X X X 2 4.500 X XEnglish Language 4 5.000 3 4.667 2 3.500 1 5.000 X XEnglish Literature 8 3.875 9 4.556 7 4.286 11 4.000 16 3.938European History 2 4.000 X X X X X X 1 3.000French Language 15 3.667 12 3.833 20 4.050 14 4.071 13 4.077German Language 12 3.917 5 3.600 26 3.769 24 4.042 8 3.500Latin Literature X X 11 4.455 X X X X 1 3.000Latin Vergil 9 4.444 X X 9 4.444 2 4.000 X XMacroeconomics 1 1.000 1 4.000 X X 2 4.000 X XMicroeconomics X X 1 5.000 X X X X 1 3.000Music Theory X X X X X X X X 1 3.000 Aural (subscore) ** X X X X X X X X 1-n/a 3.000 Nonaural (subscore) ** X X X X X X X X 1-n/a 3.000Physics B 10 4.300 28 3.929 23 3.957 41 4.268 59 4.102Physics C: Elect&Magn X X 1 1.000 X X 1 4.000 1 4.000Physics C:Mechanics X X 1 4.000 X X 1 5.000 3 5.000Psychology 114 3.814 129 3.806 123 3.512 112 3.696 139 3.849Spanish Language 47 4.130 22 4.409 18 3.722 28 3.964 16 4.125Statistics 102 3.651 137 3.569 110 3.518 79 3.367 96 3.458US Gov't & Politics 1 5.000 1 2.000 2 1.500 1 5.000 1 5.000US History 35 4.434 24 4.333 37 4.270 41 4.439 53 4.151World History X X X X X X X X 1 5.000

TOTALS: 470 4.334 514 4.161 551 4.060 497 4.421 554 4.442

**PLEASE NOTE - subscores are NOT included in total test count & total test average

Report Date 7/26/10 6/26/09 8/14/08 9/5/07 8/24/06

73.686 83.229 60.907 88.413 93.289

ADVANCED PLACEMENTA number of Advanced Placement level courses are offered through the high school. Students take a standardized test at the end of the course during May. Generally, a score of 3 or higher is a good indication of a student’s ability to do college-level work. Some colleges or universities will accept scores of 3 or higher to count as college credit.

2010 ATTENDING COLLEGE SUMMARY LISTAmerican University Hobart and William Smith Colleges Skidmore CollegeBabson College Ithaca College Spelman CollegeBates College Juniata College St. Lawrence UniversityBay State College Kalamazoo College Stonehill CollegeBentley University Keene State College Stony Brook UniversityBinghamton University Kenyon College Suffolk UniversityBoston College Lafayette College Susquehanna UniversityBoston University Lasell College Syracuse UniversityBowdoin College Lawrence University The Art Institute of New York CityBrown University Lehigh University The Catholic University of AmericaBryant University Lesley University The College of WoosterBucknell University Loyola University Maryland The George Washington UniversityCalifornia College of the Arts Loyola University New Orleans The Juilliard SchoolCazenovia College Marquette University The University of North Carolina at Champlain College Massachusetts Bay Community College Chapel HillColby College Massachusetts College of Art and Design The University of TampaCollege Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & The University of the ArtsCollege of Charleston & Health Sciences Trinity CollegeColorado College Massachusetts Institute of Technology Tufts UniversityColumbia University McGill University Tulane UniversityConnecticut College Mercyhurst College Union CollegeCooper Union for the Advancement of Miami University, Oxford United States Naval Academy Science and Art Middlebury College University of BridgeportCornell University Mount Ida College University of California at BerkeleyCurry College Muhlenberg College University of California at DavisDartmouth College New England College University of ChicagoDean College New York University University of Colorado at BoulderDickinson College Niagara University University of ConnecticutDrexel University Northeastern University University of DelawareDuke University Northwestern University University of Mary WashingtonEast Carolina University Oberlin College University of Massachusetts, AmherstElon University Parsons School of Design, New School University of Massachusetts, LowellEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University-FL University University of MiamiEmerson College Pratt Institute University of MichiganEmory University Principia College University of New HampshireEndicott College Providence College University of OregonFairfield University Purchase College University of PennsylvaniaFisher College Quinnipiac University University of PittsburghFordham University Reed College University of RedlandsFranklin and Marshall College Regis College University of RochesterFull Sail University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute University of San DiegoFurman University Rochester Institute of Technology University of St. Andrews (Scotland)Georgetown University Roger Williams University University of VermontGettysburg College Saint Joseph's University Vassar CollegeGrinnell College Saint Michaels College Villanova UniversityHamilton College - NY Salem State University Wellesley CollegeHampshire College Santa Clara University Wentworth Institute of TechnologyHartwick College Savannah College of Art and Design Wesleyan UniversityHarvard University Scripps College Wheaton College MAHigh Point University Simmons College Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and American College Testing Assessment (ACT) Either or both of these tests are an accepted part of applying to most colleges for all our students intending to go to college. Wellesley High School keeps records only of the SAT.

PARTICIPATION Almost as important as the traditional academic core curriculum is our commitment to educating the whole child with respect to the arts, fitness and athleticism. The opportunity to participate in these areas during or after school offers students unique opportunities to work with one another and to expand elements of intellectual curiosity and creativity across media.

Middle School Clubs and Activities

Art Journal Leadership Team Chess/Scrabble Math Club Community Service Newspaper Club Competitive Drama Performing Arts Culture Club Read A Movie Drama Club Science Olympiad Girls Engineering Sewing Girls Movement Stage Crew Green Team Tech Team I-Movie Yearbook Knitting Yoga Latin Club

Middle School Productions

“School House Rock” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”

“Perfect” “Cases of Mistaken Identity”

Middle School Awards – Drama and Art

Massachusetts Middle School Drama Guild “Perfect” Gold Medal, as well as three additional awards for acting and one for sound.

Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards

12 Gold Key 12 Silver Key

13 Honorable Mention • The most awards by any middle school in the state • The most Gold Key awards received by any middle school in the state • The most Silver Key awards received by any middle school in the state

National Scholastic Art Awards

2 Gold Medals (the only middle school in the State to receive Gold Medals) 1 Gold Medal Photograph winner was 1 of 50 Gold Medal winning artworks to be selected to hang in the Department Of Education’s offices in Washington, D.C.

Middle School Athletics

Boys Soccer Girls Soccer (2) Football Field Hockey (2) Boys Cross Country Girls Cross Country Boys Basketball (2) Girls Basketball (2)

Boys Ice Hockey Girls Ice Hockey Baseball Softball Boys Tennis Girls Tennis Boys Outdoor Track Girls Outdoor Track

High School Clubs and Activities

Academic Decathlon Literary Magazine The Bradford (school newspaper) Math Team Brooks Brothers Singers Moving Company Concert Band National Honor Society Concert Choir Orchestra Debate/JSA Peers as Facilitators Drama Photography Club French Exchange Pit Orchestra French Club Rice Street Singers German Club Robotics Team Gay Straight Alliance Science Olympiad Green Team Spanish Club Jazz Bands Song Sisters Key Club Student Congress Keynotes Wind Ensemble Latin Club Yearbook

High School Productions

“Anything Goes” (10% of the school participated and over 2,000 saw it)

“Bludpayne, A Fistful of Bludpayne” Senior One Acts

“Metamorphoses” Footnotes Dance Review

High School Awards - Music

Berklee Jazz Festival 2:00 Jazz Band - Fourth Place As a result of winning first place in the 2008-2009 Festival, Greg Hopkins came to give a clinic during the 2009-2010 school year. Norwood Jazz Festival 2:00 Jazz Band - Gold Medal Massachusetts Jazz Educators Association Rice Street- Gold Medal 1:00 Jazz Band - Gold Medal, Districts, State Finals 2:00 Jazz Band - Gold Medal, Districts, State Finals Jazz Combo – Gold Medal All four participated in State Winners exhibition at the Hatch Shell Showcase in Boston

Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association Concert Choir - Gold Medal Keynote Singers - Silver Medal Concert Band - Silver Medal Wind Ensemble - Gold Medal String Orchestra - Gold Medal Advanced String Orchestra - Gold Medal Gold medal winners from above participated in exhibition concerts at Symphony Hall in Boston and at Mechanics Hall in Worcester. All-Region District Music Festivals Over 60 students passed auditions and were invited to participate (53 HS, 26 MS 7/8) All-State District Music Festivals 24 HS students were accepted and performed at the state Music Educators Conference All-Eastern District Music Festival (held in Baltimore March 2011) 6 HS students invited to attend for 2010-2011 school year.

High School Awards - Drama Massachusetts High School Drama Guild “Bludpayne, A Fist Full of Bludpayne” competed in three rounds of competition against 112 schools from across Massachusetts. The final round was held in Boston at the Back Bay Events Center. The play won over 30 awards for acting and technical elements. It was ranked State champion at Finals and represented Massachusetts in the New England Drama festival in Falmouth Maine. The Wellesley High School Improv Troupe, Robot and the Ready Readies, took part in the Boston 48 Hour Film Festival. The movie they made in that 48- hour time period was featured in the Kendall Square Cinema in Boston.

High School Awards - Art

Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards 14 Gold Key 8 Silver Key

14 Honorable Mention 2 Gold Key Photography Portfolios

5 Gold Key Art Portfolios Tied with two other high school for the most awards received by a high school in the state

National Scholastic Art Awards

1 Gold Medal: Jewelry piece 1 Silver Medal: Photograph 3 Teachers received Gold Medals for Excellence in Art Teaching from the National Scholastics Art Awards

High School Athletics

Boys Soccer: Varsity, JV & Freshman Girls Soccer: Varsity, JV & Freshman Football: Varsity, JV & Freshman Field Hockey: Varsity, JV & Freshman Boys Golf Girls Golf Girls Swimming & Girls Diving Girls Volleyball: Varsity, JV & Freshman Boys VolleyBall Boys Cross Country: Varsity & JV Girls Cross Country: Varsity & JV Boys Basketball: Varsity, JV & Freshman Girls Basketball: Varsity, JV & Freshman Varsity Dance Team Gymnastics - Varsity Boys Indoor Track: Varsity & JV Girls Indoor Track: Varsity & JV Boys Swimming & Boys Diving Boys Ice Hockey: Varsity & JV

Girls Ice Hockey: Varsity & JV Wrestling: Varsity & JV Boys Skiing: Nordic Girls Skiing: Nordic Boys Skiing: Alpine Girls Skiing: Alpine Baseball: Varsity, JV & Freshman Softball: Varsity, JV & Freshman Boys Lacrosse: Varsity, JV & Freshman Girls Lacrosse: Varsity, JV & Freshman Boys Tennis: Varsity & JV Girls' Tennis: Varsity & JV Boys Outdoor Track: Varsity & JV Girls Outdoor Track: Varsity & JV Boys Sailing Girls Sailing Boys Volleyball Girls Volleyball: Varsity & JV

These are some significant program details of the 2009-2010 season:

Wellesley High School has 69 High School Athletic Teams Wellesley Middle School has 20 Middle School Athletic Teams Wellesley Public Schools has 89 Varsity, JV, Freshmen and MS Teams Participation increased from 1300 to 1363 on WHS athletic teams Wellesley High School had 775 students play at least one sport this year Wellesley High School had 148 three-sport athletes Wellesley Teams won 12 League Championships Wellesley Teams won 2 State Team Championships - Boys Alpine Skiing and Boys

Tennis Wellesley Athletes won multiple State Individual Championships Wellesley Teams won 2 South Sectional Championships. Boys Tennis and Girls Tennis Wellesley Athletes won Individual South Championships in Golf, Boys Tennis and Girls

Tennis Wellesley Teams won 2 Eastern Mass Championships; Girls Cross Country and Boys

Tennis Wellesley won the BSC Girl's All Sport Award Wellesley was named the District C Sportsmanship Award Winner from the MIAA Wellesley Athletic Director was nominated and selected by District C for the Ted Damko

Award. The recipient of this award is an athletic administrator having made significant contributions to the school, league, district and State

Wellesley will be presented a banner for MIAA sportsmanship during athletic competition

2009-2010 Varsity Records League Overall Cross Country Boys 6-5 6-5 Cross Country Girls 10-1 10-1 Field Hockey 12-2-1 15-2-1 Football 9-2 9-2 Golf Boys 15-1 15-1 Soccer Boys 10-5-1 10-7-1 Soccer Girls 9-2-5 11-2-5 Swimming Girls 6-4 6-4 Volleyball Girls 11-5 11-5 Boys Basketball 9-7 11-7 Girls Basketball 16-0 19-1 Boys Hockey 11-4-1 14-5-1 Girls Hockey 9-4-3 11-6-3 Wrestling 2-9 8-12 Boys Swimming 0-5 0-7 Gymnastics 9-0 9-0 Boys Indoor Track 1-4 1-5 Girls Indoor Track 3-2 4-2 Baseball 8-8 11-9 Softball 4-12 6-14 Girls Lacrosse 15-0-1 16-1-2 Boys Lacrosse 13-3 14-6 Girls Tennis 16-0 17-0 Boys Tennis 16-0 20-0 Girls Track 5-0 7-0 Boys Track 2-3 2-5 Boys Volleyball 0-16 1-18 Girls Golf n/a 12-6 Sailing 1st place ___ ________________ 227-104-12 (.679) 276-135-13 (.666)

League Championships

Boys Soccer Co-Ed Skiing Boys Golf Girls Lacrosse Girls Basketball Boys Tennis Boys Hockey Girls Tennis Girls Hockey Co-Ed Sailing Girls Outdoor Track Girls Gymnastics

WELLESLEY PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATORS While class size is a vital factor to the strength of any quality educational program, the single most important factor is the quality of the instructional and support staff. These charts are taken from our annual b budget book and provide an overview of staffing qualifications and staffing guidelines

PROFESSIONAL STAFFING GUIDELINES

ElementaryClassroom teachers: The average class size at the elementary level is expected to be18 to 22 for kindergarten and grade one; 22 to 24 for grades two through five.

Specialists: Staffing falls into three categories:

1. Those whose primary role is to meet regularly with classes for instruction.

Subject Meeting Time Grades Frequency

Art 50 minutes K through 5 weekly

Music 30 minutes K/1/3 twice weekly

45 minutes 2/4/5 weekly

Band 40 minutes 4 and 5 weekly before school

Chorus 40 minutes 5 weekly

Orchestra 40 minutes 2 through 5 weekly before school

Fitness and Health 60 minutes K/2/4 weekly

45 minutes 1/3 weekly

30 minutes 5 twice weekly

2. Those who meet regularly with classes but whose role includesconsultation with classroom teachers and operation management.

Subject Meeting Time Grades Frequency

Library 30 minutes K weekly

45 minutes 1 through 5 weekly

No librarian should have more than 22 classes per week or less than 2 days per

week in one school to fulfill the need for library management and teacher

consultation.

3. Those who occasionally meet with whole classes, more often with smallgroups, but whose primary role is consultation with classroom teachers,introduction of new materials, modeling of new instructional approaches,and testing of students.

Reading: 0.5 FTE minimum per school

Special Education: Annual caseloadSpecial educator: 1.0 FTE per 25 to 50 students

Psychologist/School adjustment counselor: 1.0 FTE per 20 to 30 students

Speech and language therapist: 1.0 FTE per 25 to 50 students

Variables considered when determining appropriate number of students in therange:

• teaching assistant availability

• intensity of service• assessment time • teacher consultation time• parent consultation time • crisis intervention time • ESL support • additional time for team leading, monitoring and out-of-district

placement liaison work

Substantially separate program staffing will be determined on the basis of legalmandates and cost effectiveness, such as, consideration of tuition placement costs,other modifications and staffing configurations available within our schools

Middle School High School

Art

Digital art

grade 6 & 7

grade 8

22

16

16

12

Business education 22

English grade 8 student load 90 student load 90

Family & consumer science

Child development

16 16

22

Fitness and health

grade 10

25 25

18

Classical/modern language 22 22

Grade 6 22

Grade 7 cluster (full) range 80 to 100

Guidance range 200 to 225 range 180-225

Industrial technology

Design & manufacturing tech

18 16

18

Level 3 academic classes 15

Mathematics 22 22

Music/drama 22 22

Performing groups based on size and space available

Science 22 22

Social studies 22 22