Littleton School Committee Approves First Reading of Three Student Welfare Policies

LITTLETON -- December 15, 2022, Littleton School Committee hears that 65 kindergarteners scored at risk on fall literacy screener amid pandemic learning-loss concerns. At its December 15 meeting, the committee received fall 2022 early literacy screening data showing a sharp rise in kindergarten students flagged at moderate or high risk, with Shaker Lane Principal Michelle Kane attributing the elevated number partly to pandemic-era disruptions, reduced early childhood literacy exposure, curtailed early intervention services, and less incidental letter recognition in daily life. Superintendent Kelly Clunchy reported the AimswebPlus screener the district has relied on is no longer on DESE's approved list, meaning Littleton may need to switch tools before the July 1, 2023 regulatory deadline that also requires expanding screening from grade two through grade three. On the building front, Clunchy said MSBA accepted the district's Shaker Lane enrollment projections, anticipating one additional classroom per grade within a six-year construction window, though committee member Stacy Patel flagged that nearly 1,000 planned residential units are not yet factored in. The committee unanimously approved first reading of three student welfare policies, on homeless students, military-connected children, and foster care students, and reappointed Clunchy to the CASE Board of Directors.