By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — A proposed new Lynnfield Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy pertaining to career and technical education (CTE) was unveiled during the School Committee’s Sept. 25 meeting.
Assistant Superintendent Adam Federico said the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is requiring all school districts to create a Pathway Exploration Policy for middle schools, including LMS.
“It’s a focus on vocational technical high schools and how we support our middle school learners in thinking about career and technical education as a next step,” said Federico. “DESE has asked all districts to develop some policies. Specifically for our district, we need to talk about what our middle school does to help kids think about career and technical education. A lot of what we are asking to put into policy is already in place. There are a couple of new things but for the most part, we are looking to codify practices.”
Federico said the first component of the new policy seeks to “lay out” how LMS collaborates with Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical High School, which is more commonly known as Essex Tech.
“That is one part of the policy,” said Federico. “The second part is to ensure that we are providing opportunities for our kids to learn about their technical school option. It already happens, but it just asks that we have a policy that lays that out. That is things such as opportunities to tour, including during regular school hours. Essex Tech would pay for the transportation.”
Federico said the third component of the new policy seeks to make sure the middle school provides opportunities for students to explore secondary school options.
“The last part of the policy is asking us just to lay out that we are committed to having kids consider career education,” said Federico.
Federico said the middle school already shares contact information with Essex Tech.
“We already designate a school contact person, which is usually one of the two middle school psychologists who are similar to a guidance counselor who will serve as the point person for families and kids to navigate this process,” said Federico. “We already share information with families and students about Essex Tech, and we already hold an assembly during school hours. We already support the admissions process. We are just putting in writing what we already do.”
Federico said DESE is requiring LMS and Essex Tech to facilitate student tours at the Danvers-based high school.
“That is something our administration will work with their administration to set up and advertise and all of those logistics,” said Federico. “They are asking us to put a link on our middle school webpage to Essex Tech, so we will work with our technology folks to make sure that is on there. The last part is to make sure we are facilitating student exploration of career fields.”
Federico noted that middle school’s STEM course for students in all four grades works in partnership with the nonprofit organization Project Lead The Way.
“One of core parts of Project Lead The Way is looking at careers and understanding how work in STEM can happen in career fields,” said Federico.
Federico recalled that the middle school’s improvement includes an academic goal that entails “embracing applied learning.”
“One of the tenets of applied learning is career framing,” said Federico. “It looks at all of your curriculum and all of your areas to look for opportunities to link what kids are learning about now to careers that they could then take part in as adults. That is part of what we do.”
Federico said the policy also entails “conducting an interest inventory.”
“This is where we would use Team Time or WIN (What I Need) Time to have kids engage in sort of an inventory where they could kind of match their current interests with possible careers,” said Federico.
Federico said there are different career inventory programs that the middle school will explore using such as My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP), the Massachusetts Education Financing Authority (MEFA) and other standalone programs.
“We are looking at all of those right now,” said Federico. “We also want to partner with the high school because if there is a chance to align with what they use, that would also make sense.”
Federico said DESE and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) did not provide the School Department with a policy template for the new pathways policy.
“They are leaving it up to us,” said Federico. “DESE is asking for a very quick turnaround on this. It is due Nov. 1. They just gave it to us a couple of weeks ago. It’s a quick turnaround, but it is really mostly just codifying things that we do.”
School Committee member Jamie Hayman noted that the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to change the admissions process for CTE schools that entails implementing a lottery system. He asked if Essex Tech will be using a “blind” or “weighted” lottery system for enrolling new students moving forward.
“I don’t know what Essex Tech is committed to yet,” said Federico. “We have the easy side. All of the CTEs also have to revamp their policies and look at their admissions process. I would be happy to get more information and report back.”
Superintendent Tom Geary said Essex Tech and other CTE schools are also facing a Nov. 1 deadline to update those schools’ policies.
Hayman asked Federico if he has reached out to Essex Tech School Committee member Gary Hathaway, who is Lynnfield’s representative on the panel, about the policy change.
Federico said he has not spoken with Hathaway, but he has spoken with Essex Tech School Counseling and Admissions Director Sandra Goldstein.
“I checked with her to see if they have any guidance for us,” said Federico. “Again, they have what we have. DESE kind of put this one out, gave us the framework and we were able to put together what we already have.”
Hayman was not surprised by how DESE was handling the state-mandated policy changes.
“It sounds a little bit typical,” said Hayman. “DESE will put the requirement out and then we will figure it out, and iron out the kinks.”
Federico said Essex Tech has been willing to “communicate and support” the district with implementing the new pathways policy.
“I have had a couple of exchanges with their admissions folks,” said Federico. “They feel like using the DESE guidance is the best way to go.”
School Committee member Kate DePrizio, who serves on the Policy Subcommittee with School Committee member Kim Baker Donahue, expressed her support for the new policy.
“It is pretty straightforward,” said DePrizio.
In response to a question School Committee Chair Kristen Grieco Elworthy, Federico said the policy’s career exploration component will make sure students are learning about those opportunities during dedicated times that are not a class.
“It’s not impacting a math class or an English class,” said Federico. “We have time in our day that lends itself perfectly to these kind of activities. And broadly in all of our courses, there are connections that can be made.”
The School Committee is tentatively scheduled to vote on the LMS Pathway Exploration Policy on Tuesday, Oct. 7.