Superintendent / District Goals
2008-2009

• Determine a scope of services and hire facilitator to manage and mediate the strategic planning process
• Conduct focus groups with teachers and community members to gather input on their vision for the schools, their perceptions of district strengths and areas of growth, and their thoughts on trends, opportunities, and threats
• Form a Steering Committee and Strategic Planning Team to accomplish the following:
• Gather input on their vision for the schools, their perceptions of district strengths and areas of growth as well as trends, opportunities, and obstacles
• Collect and interpret information
• Revise the vision, mission, and core value statements for the school district
• Develop strategic themes, goals, and benchmarks
• Formulate a communication plan for the community
• Evaluate costs of action plans in light of the town’s financial projections
• Complete Strategic Plan document by February of 2009
• Produce and disseminate document in spring of 2009.

Person(s) responsible: Dr. Phelan and School Committee 

Goal Area 2:  Use technology to improve student learning and organizational effectiveness

• Develop a plan for a 1-to-1 computing environment at Hopkinton High School
• Purchase laptops for all teachers at the High School in conjunction with the school district’s hardware replacement and leasing cycle
• Outline a lease/purchase laptop solution for students
• Review equipment in all specialist labs
• Recommend hardware and software upgrades needed for implementation of this plan
• Expand use of Moodle course management software to support student learning
• Provide training to a second cadre of High School and Middle School teachers
• Implement and evaluate first phase of blended courses at the High School
• Refine Moodle webpage and streamline interface with I-PASS
• Pilot hybrid or stand-alone course(s) during the summer of 2009
• Provide elementary classroom technologies to facilitate small group instruction, student interventions, and differentiated instruction
• Provide parent training in 21st century technology tools
• Migrate all schools and departments to on-line purchasing through I-FIPS; provide on-line access to information to eliminate need for monthly reports
• Implement infrastructure improvements included in FY 09 budget
• Complete installation of wireless infrastructure at the Middle School
• Establish direct fiber links from Central Office, the White House, and the Middle School to the High School head end room to avoid system failure during a power outage at Hopkins

Summary of Progress to Date:
During Mrs. Dooley’s budget presentation, she outlined a 3-year plan to implement a one-to-one mobile computing environment. During year one of this plan, laptops will be purchased under a new lease for all high school teachers, and off lease equipment will be re-purposed for high school science classrooms and elementary classrooms. In addition, the new lease includes hardware for the labs and library. The school district also purchased a Microsoft Office 2007 license for $35,000, which eliminated the need for a $37,000 yearly payment for the software. The savings will be reallocated in FY 10 and beyond for curriculum-based software.

The Moodle implementation is on-going. The first cadre of teachers was trained in Moodle this past summer, and a second cadre of teachers will be trained this coming summer. During the current school year, seven professional development courses were offered for teachers by in-district staff or outside consultants using Moodle as a platform. In addition, 34 blended courses were offered at the High School and Middle School. We are also currently partnering with the Millis Public Schools on a blended Middle School module on internet safety. Discussions with other TEC/ACCEPT districts on blended and hybrid courses are also underway. We are currently looking for a university partner.

Moodle webpage and interface improvements with I-PASS are works in progress. We are collaborating with other I-PASS districts and its parent company, IMG Software. The member districts have currently developed a process to back-up Moodle courses and data at the end of each semester and during the summer.

A number of other technology trainings have also been completed. Two parent trainings have been held on 21st century tools (Atlas Rubicon, Alert Now, listservs, and I-Parent) and most recently on internet safety. Training for all secretarial staff responsible for purchasing on I-FIPS will be completed by the end of February, which will allow us to go paperless with our purchasing process and monthly reporting. Once the school district has beta tested the process on the school side, the initiative will be brought forward to the Town.

The fiber links noted above have been completed. The wireless project at the Middle School will be finished once four additional wireless access points are installed this week to support the far ends of the school.

We are also working on an emergency communication plan as part of our crisis planning. To this end, we have updated all of the two-way radios in the school. We are also reviewing the public address systems in each of the schools to ensure that they are working in all areas of the schools.

Person(s) responsible: Dr. Phelan and administrative staff

Goal Area 3:  Gain energy efficiencies and promote “green initiatives”

• Complete Middle School roof and wall project
• Work collaboratively with Town on Borrego Solar Systems solar panel installation project
• Identify and implement energy conservation measures in schools
• Conduct energy audit with Aramark Education
• Compare energy management program services with services from energy service companies (ESCOs)
• Procure services from an energy management program company or an energy service company through a Request For Quotation (RFQ) process
• Collaborate with the Board of Selectmen, the Sustainability Green Committee, and other town boards on funding for identified projects
• Expand recycling initiatives in the schools
• Identify composting solution for recyclable trays
• Explore use of recyclable utensils in school cafeterias
• Work with E.L. Harvey to expand recycling of paper and plastics in the schools
• Move to paperless communications throughout the district to the greatest extent possible
• Implement E-Flyer distribution system
• Disseminate school newsletters and major school documents electronically through the school district’s listserv
• Examine copier usage and alternative methods to disseminate curriculum materials

Summary of Progress to Date:
We have made significant progress under this goal area. The Middle School roof and exterior wall project has been completed and came in approximately 1.1M under budget due to some excellent value engineering during the project. The Power Sales Agreement with Borrego was executed but is currently in a holding pattern while Borrego tries to secure alternate financing for the project. In the event they are unable to do so, we will move to the second most qualified bidder. After presentations to both the School Committee and the Board of Selectmen, both groups have endorsed pursuing energy management services for the school district. Mr. MacDonald is currently completing the Request for Proposals.

Mr. MacDonald has also formed a Recycling Committee, which includes representatives from the E.L Harvey, the community, faculty, and students. The group has decided to concentrate its efforts on increasing our recycling efforts instead of focusing on recyclable trays, recyclable utensils, and composting. The recyclable products were twice the cost, composting solutions were difficult to find, and Ellen Harvey indicated that all Styrofoam trays are now being incinerated. The group is currently completing an inventory of all recycling bins and practices in the schools and is working with E.L. Harvey to increase the number of pick-ups in the schools.

The school district has successfully moved to paperless communications wherever possible by implementing the E-Flyer program and by disseminating all major school publications electronically. To further reduce printing costs, Mrs. Dooley is currently working with the schools on a plan to move printing towards networked copiers or centralized printers.

Person(s) responsible: Dr. Phelan and administrative staff

Goal Area 4:  Conduct the Center School Feasibility Study and further district elementary school planning

• Reconvene newly constituted Elementary School Building Committee

• Execute Feasibility Agreement with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA)
• Provide documentation to the MSBA related to the Center School Feasibility Project and Elmwood Land Use Study
• Collaborate with the MSBA to procure the services of an Owner’s Project Manager and designer for the feasibility study.
• Work with the Elementary School Building Committee on the completion of the feasibility study and MSBA approval of a construction alternative
• Collaborate with the Board of Selectmen and town boards on funding should the project receive approval from the MSBA
• Outline a process and timeline for moving towards district schools

Summary of Progress to Date:
The Hopkinton Elementary School Building Committee has been reconstituted but has been limited in its work to date because of delays at the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). The HESBC did vote to authorize the firm of Miyares and Harrington as counsel for the project through the feasibility phase. Similarly, the HESBC also voted to submit Brian Main as a candidate for Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) through the same phase of this project. Mr. Main will be interviewing with a MSBA panel on March 2nd. If Mr. Main is approved as the OPM, the designer selection process will commence soon thereafter.

The school district has provided the MSBA with all requested documents to date, which included information on the Center School Feasibility Study and the Elmwood Land Use Study. In addition, we have submitted Exhibits A and C, which deal with the Feasibility Study Budget and the Feasibility Schedule respectively. On January 12, 2009, we were informed by our liaison Diane Sullivan that the Feasibility Study Agreement (FSA) is still being finalized and will include our reimbursement rate once completed. Once the FSA is executed, Pro-Pay training will be offered to the district so we can begin electronically submitting payment for expenses. We also refreshed the Elmwood School Statement of Interest so it can remain on the table for future consideration.

Person(s) responsible: Dr. Phelan and School Committee

Other Key Work:

Implement revenue enhancements and cost efficiencies identified through the Financial Plan Working Group’s
We have made slow but continued progress in this area. Mr. Stoldt has put together an advertising prospectus and is currently soliciting advertisers. As part of the budget process, new fee options were presented to the School Committee; further work is still needed to close loopholes in the Community Use of School Facilities Policy. As indicated in the technology goal area above, our Moodle efforts are progressing, and we are building our capacity to move towards on-line coursework. We have also accepted one special education student on a tuition basis for the remainder of this school year, which will generate $11,000 in revenue. No new grants have been received. We are currently working with the Town on the consolidation of technology, human resources, and facilities.

Implement new teacher evaluation process and procedures
The School District has partnered with the HTA on the implementation of a new teacher evaluation process. All administrators have completed two trainings on effective supervision, and all teachers have completed an orientation on the new process. As the second phase of our work, a subcommittee recently completed draft rubrics to improve consistency in the evaluation process.

Continue Stage 2 and 3 work on UbD
We are continuing are efforts to complete stages 2 and 3 of our UbD work. The work should be complete by June of 2011. In addition, we are sharing our efforts with the other member districts in The Education Cooperative (TEC) and the ACCEPT Collaborative.

Complete NEASC work in spring of 2009
All work in preparation for the NEASC work has been completed.

Implement recommendations from Mid-Cycle Review by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Corrective action plans have been submitted for all areas cited in the report, and monies have been included in the FY 10 budget for the staff needed to meet the needs of English language learners.

Review, revise, or develop new School Committee policies as outlined in August 13, 2008 memo to School Committee
Steady progress has been made by Dr. Colombo and Ms. Robak on the policies outlined for completion this year. A revised Policy Development Calendar will be presented to the School Committee at its February 26th meeting.

Being first phase of Athletic Field Improvement Project
The first phase of the athletic field construction project will be completed this spring. The bleachers are currently under construction.

Complete phase 3 American with Disabilities Act (ADA) work
The School Committee has voted to submit an article at Town Meeting to complete this work, which is being done in collaboration with the ADA committee and the Board of Selectmen (BOS). The BOS, however, has not yet decided if it will support the capital article at Town Meeting.

HCAM collaboration
In partnership with HCAM, we now have streaming video for Committee Meetings and portable studios for the Middle School and High School. We are also working with HCAM to expand programming on the educational channel. Additionally, HCAM is also going to sponsor a $500 scholarship for a graduation senior attending a two or four year college to study broadcast communications or a related field.