Lexington (MA) High School Senate

Current Agenda and Minutes

Agenda For the March 28, 2002 meeting:

1. Announcements

2. Committee Reports

3. Senior Final Exam Bill

4. Physical Education Bill

Minutes

From the March 21, 2002 meeting:

Quorum reached at 7:51 AM.

[Minutes Approved]

[Agenda amended to insert "Discussion of Survey Results" as #3, after Committee Reports. ]

Announcements

Collins: A question to those who have scooped ice-cream for CRUD in the past: how many tubs of ice-cream were left over and of what flavors?

Lessin: There was a lot left of everything. I found chocolate to be the most popular flavor, followed by vanilla and then strawberry.

Kessler: An email was sent to all teachers encouraging them to join Senate. Welcome to Mr. Richardson and Mr. Kresser who have joined us today.

Dr. Seasholes: I have been appointed to serve as Principal of LHS for another year. I have enjoyed my time here at LHS and look forward to working further with the school. I have been trying to talk to all Seniors by visiting English classes. I found these discussions very enjoyable and many thoughtful comments were made, particularly regarding increasing the flexibility of credit requirements. I see the discrepancy between student and faculty responses to similar questions about the testing day policy as an issue that needs attention. The faculty feels that many rules at this school are not followed. Regarding the Ten Minute Rule, I think it is very important for the faculty as a whole to understand what it is - as with anything that comes across my desk. As I have told Senator Collins, I'm supportive of CRUD and moving X-block to the end of the day to facilitate the day's activities, but I am not supportive of letting students out G-block as well. I would also like the Climate Committee to think of a way of incorporating a competition into CRUD, perhaps seeing which group can pick up the most garbage. Finally, it now seems very likely that time will be cut from Senate X-block, next year. I want to provide a home-room type period in the day - a chance for a break and for appropriate announcements to be communicated to students. If I could, I would have the school day extended fifteen minutes. This would be challenged, though it is my hope that eventually faculty would see this move for its advantages. We'll try to get the full block back eventually, but I wanted you to hear this first. I wish you all good luck. Regarding the P.E. Bill, I have some concerns regarding whether it an issue appropriate for Senate discussion. It is clear that the P. E. department has to explain better why P. E. class is different from sports.

Committee Reports

K. Girondel: The Elections committee has determined that Alison Burson and Shung Chen will represent LHS on the State Student Advisory Council.

S. Enders: The Communications Committee finished up some publicity posters this week with the help of Alyssa Rosenberg. I hate to have to say this, but our committee's attendance is poor. Please let's improve this.

Kafrissen: Policy met yesterday and was the site of a very interesting exchange between Senators S. Enders and Finnegan regarding the Physical Education Bill proposed by Enders. Both got to hear what the other had to say and I think they will bring spice to this body's pending debate.

Collins: Climate Committee members: Please show up to meetings. We need to work on CRUD.

Discussion of Survey Results

David: In reviewing the results from the Testing Day Survey, a few things jumped out at our committee. Pretty much everyone had heard of this policy. Although faculty, in responding to a separate survey, all thought they had followed the policy, students reported that many teachers did not follow it. The largest group of students said that the policy did not affect their stress level. The next largest group reported a decrease in stress level, but comments from those who are against the policy are vehement. In answer to question #6, the largest group of students felt that the policy should be implemented throughout the entire year; the next-largest group did not care.

Burson: It is worth bringing up that the schedule of testing days came out relatively late when this policy was tested. Many teachers ended up having to move reports and tests that were already assigned - or didn't want to do so and thus violated the policy. It is hard to really discuss the effects of this policy before it has been ironed-out.

Kafrissen: I have the results of the faculty survey. There are some disparities, like the response as to who is following the survey, but by and large the student survey shows how students feel and the faculty survey shows how the faculty feels and it is not surprising that all are not on the same page. Many of the faculty also submitted comments which indicated a major problem teachers had was that the policy was inputted without much input from the faculty.

Dhanani: I agree with Burson that releasing the schedule earlier would have made people more accepting of the policy. It is very important that the policy is universally enforced, otherwise it loses meaning.

Fried: I strongly believe that the policy should hold throughout the year. It will take time to instate but will ultimately be a good thing.

Texin: I don't think the policy helps reduce stress. Without the policy teachers have more flexibility - it is unreasonable to ask them to move their curriculums back a week and schedule teaching around testing.

Vogelzang: I agree with Senator Fried. If the policy were put into effect throughout the year teachers would not be surprised by it and could not use ignorance of it as an excuse not to implement it.

David: I second the statement made about flexibility. My class time is limited and testing sometimes seems like a wasted day-I would like to schedule test days where they make most sense, for example on a day when I know I won't be around to teach. The student body seems pretty laissez faire on this issue, but I am strongly in favor of flexibility. Regarding the issue of enforcement, if one or two teachers don't follow the policy, it is ruined for everybody.

Dhanani: I'm opposed to this policy because testing days become removed from the end of a unit which is inconvenient.

Kessler: A reminder that we are in discussion of the survey results, not the testing day policy.

S. Enders: I move to end this discussion. [Seconded.] The intent of this discussion was to inform the Senate of the results of the Testing Day Survey. Should Senators wish to have a lengthier discussion we could do so in the future but I don't think it's appropriate to interrupt the current agenda to such a great extent.

David: Having been warned to limit this discussion to the results of the survey, I think we should be able to continue the discussion.

[Motion passes, 21 : 17. Discussion is closed.]

Senior Final Exam Bill

Kessler: We are in discussion of a motion that Senator Walsh made at the end of last week's meeting to set the "B" grade at an 85% average.

Walsh: Much of our discussion revolved around the possibility that some teachers would opt out of the policy, feeling that the set grade was too low. If the B were emphasized as being a stronger grade, more would be likely to accept the policy. For some teachers, an 83 is actually a B-.

Burson: I've been in classes where a 91 or 92 has been an A. Grades can be sketchy in terms of number correlations. Moving up to a B from a B- raised the bar sufficiently high.

S. Enders: I think we should vote against this amendment and move away from discussions of what grade is appropriate. The fact is that grades represent different levels of effort and achievement in different classes and the only way to set an appropriate grade is to allow teachers to individually set grades for their classes. Also, as this policy is optional from the start, it will be of little important to teachers what we say their grade should be. They are likely to set their own grades anyway.

SaldaÒa: I would vote against this amendment and move to strike the 83% altogether. Teachers should be allowed to determine their own grades.

Fried: I don't think my teachers would be able to separate an 83% B from an 84% B so I think this discussion is irrelevant.

Vogelzang: Although I agree teachers would be more likely to adopt this policy if the grade were strengthened, I don't think lines can be drawn this finely.

Lessin: I am not sure about what the number should be, but I do think we need to specify one. A student could be on the line, and a number would settle the issue.

David: I missed one of our recent policy meetings because I spent twenty five minutes in a discussion with a student about raising his or her grade. As a teacher I dread the potential of debate as a result of this Bill. We're opening up a nasty can of worms as students have a strong self interest here.

List of Senators Absent from the March 21, 2002 Meeting

J. Ludwig (excused), T. Shen, L. Conklin, A. Kieft, R. Strizhak, L. Smith