Andover Public Schools To Undergo State Review Dec. 13-17

ANDOVER, MA — Andover Public Schools will undergo a state district review, the district said Monday.

The state hired the "American Institutes for Research" to assess the district's current practices in relation to state standards.

State contractors will visit the district Dec. 13 to 17 for data collection, according to a letter Superintendent Magda Parvey sent to the community Monday.

Data collection will include interviews, focus groups and classroom observation, Parvey wrote.

Those observations will go toward a "culminating report that provides information about the strengths and challenges of current practices," Parvey said. "The purpose of the district review is to provide formative and actionable feedback on district practices, enabling district leaders to reflect on progress and strengthen staff and student performance."

Observations and comments will not be connected to individuals, other than possibly the superintendent, Parvey wrote.

"Participants’ comments will not be attributed to individuals and individuals will not be identified in the report," Parvey said. "Data collected from the observations will be used in aggregate and will not reflect individual teacher performance or identify teacher names, classroom numbers, subjects, or specific grade levels."

No preparation will be needed for the interviews or for classroom observation, the superintendent wrote. Classroom instruction should continue as planned without interruption.

Interviews will last 45-60 minutes and classroom observations will last about 20 minutes.

Students chosen to participate in focus groups will need parental consent.

"Most interviews and focus groups will take place in person, but to reach the optimal number of participants, some may be conducted virtually," Parvey said.

The district will be evaluated on state standards regarding leadership and governance, curriculum and instruction, human resources and professional development, assessment, financial and asset management and student support.

Anyone with questions should contact the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. Julie Riley at julie.riley@andoverma.us, Parvey said.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.