Littleton School Committee Hears School Improvement Plans from All Four Building Principals

LITTLETON -- October 12, 2023, Littleton School Committee hears sweeping school improvement updates as a state review of the district gets underway. All four building principals presented Standard 1 curriculum, instruction, and assessment plans at the October 12 meeting, with Superintendent Dr. Kelly Clenchy also briefing the board on a DESE Targeted District Review, one of roughly 13 to 15 statewide, with on-site visits scheduled for the week of November 13 covering leadership and governance, human resources, and financial management. Russell Street Elementary Principal Beth Steele cited specific MCAS data: 40 percent of third graders fell in the partially meets range for ELA and 41 percent for math last year, with the school now targeting 80 percent of students reaching the meeting or exceeding threshold. The middle school principal described a comprehensive restructuring of the student support team referral and tier two services process, built on research recommending that 10 to 25 percent of students receive tier two support. High School Principal John reported the launch of Character Strong, a social-emotional learning curriculum delivered in 15 advisory sessions per year, after discussions about adopting such a program dating to 2016. The Shaker Lane building project's next milestone is a November 2 MSBA board meeting expected to approve the district's owner's project manager selection.