What happened at this week’s Board of Ed Meeting?
Didn’t want to sit through the meeting? Don’t feel like an outsider, just read the Insider.
Blunt words about the rolling gradebook
New state mandates will change Scarsdale’s schools
Exciting new changes to the K-12 science program
Plus more
BY DEBORAH SKOLNIK
On Monday, the Board of Education convened with a jam-packed agenda. Although the topics were wide-ranging, none attracted more scrutiny and prompted as many blunt expressions of frustration—not only from parents, but also from a student and even a Board of Ed member—as the rolling gradebook.
Bookending that hot-button topic were discussions about sports, our schools’ desired capital improvements, and more. If you’d like to skim the highlights, they’re bolded.
New plans from the New York State Board of Regents
Superintendent Dr. Drew Patrick shared that hours earlier, the NYS Board of Regents unveiled a timeline for the implementation of four major changes to public school education in the State. The first of these will be the adoption of a “New York State portrait of a graduate,” a graphic with representations of the qualities and abilities students should develop before they receive their diplomas.
Looking good. According to the New York State portrait of a graduate, students should face the world as critical thinkers, global citizens, effective communicators, and innovative problem solver. They should also be literate across the content areas of school and demonstrate cultural and social-emotional competence.
The Regents are mandating three other changes: redefining credits and learning experiences, phasing out diploma assessment requirements (also known as Regents Exams), and establishing a single New York State high school diploma. The changes would roll out over several years, as seen in these charts:
During the 2026-2027 school year, Superintendent Patrick noted, high school students will be required to take classes in financial literacy and climate education. “I think what’s heartening is some of the concepts and ideas that are represented in these four transformations reflect approaches we have either long valued in Scarsdale, or others that are more recent, such as the portrait of a graduate,” he said.
SPORTS UPDATE
Superintendent Patrick then proudly shared the latest on SHS’s sports teams:
Boys’ volleyball defeated Ossining and Yonkers to reach the sectional semifinals.
Girls’ volleyball had a strong showing, but lost to Brewster in the first round of the section one tournament, finishing their season 6 and 9.
Boys’ soccer won the section one title game for the third year in a row and move on to the state sub-regional game.
Girls’ soccer reached the section 1 finals. They were defeated by Arlington, but had an amazing season of 10, 2, and 2.
Boys’ football will be playing in the section semifinals.
Cross country teams are having one of their best seasons in decades. The girls’ team one the Westchester County Championship. The boys’ team took third place.
Girls’ swim had a 9-0 dual meet record this season, and went on to win the Conference 2 Championship.
Girls’ tennis Scarsdale had the most players in the top eight of any school at the state championships. Gianna Marks finished fifth, and the doubles team of Kay Catrell and Isabel Lin finished in fourth place.
SCHOOL TOURS BY BOE MEMBERS
Last week, three BOE members toured the Scarsdale Middle School. The visit was structured around possible future bond projects, including a new kitchen and student dining area accommodating all four houses, centralization and modernization of the library, installing air conditioning in some common areas, and making all classrooms air conditioned.
Three BOE members also toured the Fox Meadow School. Desired future projects include increasing storage, consolidating certain spaces, enhancing the performing arts spaces, updating an art room, and rethinking the gymnatorium, a combination gymnasium/auditory where space for phys ed classes is tight.
A three-person BOE contingent likewise toured the Edgewood School. On its administrators’ wish list are enhanced learning spaces, an improved kitchen setup, and a garden renovation and outdoor classroom.
COFFEE, ANYONE?
Board members Amber Yusuf and Leah Dembitzer reported on the first Board community coffee, which took place on October 31st. A diverse group attended, from parents of children in Pre-K to grandparents of current students. Many guests expressed a keen interest in staying informed about district developments and stressed that the district could improve on communication and transparency, yet also praised Scarsdale’s rigorous standards and expressed enthusiasm for enhancing access to AP classes.
TURNING BACK TO SCHOOL TOURS…
Continuing its school tour mission, three BOE representatives visited Quaker Ridge School. The cabinetry and window blinds need updating, since they date to the 1950s.The auditorium could use updating as well in order to be used more efficiently
A final tour, of Scarsdale High School, where areas such as the learning resource center and broadcast studio could be enhanced going forward.
SCHOOL BUILDINGS UPDATE
Andrew Lennon, Assistant Superintendent for Business, spoke next. With the heating season rapidly approaching, building facility staff is working closely with the district’s energy partner to maximize comfort for students and staffers.
Lennon also shared an update on the auditorium renovation. "We’re still on target to meet our deadlines,” he said. The acoustical panels are a long-lead item that hasn’t yet arrived, but there are plans in place to minimize any delay to the project this may cause.
FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS PERIOD
Dissatisfaction with the rolling gradebook dominated the community’s comments. The following are excerpts from the speakers:
Jessica, an SHS senior, spoke of flaws in a student survey about the rolling gradebook administered by school officials. “The questions asked made it difficult for students to share detailed feedback,” she said. “These surveys were administered during a ten-minute homeroom, which did not give students sufficient time to think through their answer and develop nuanced responses that accurately reflected their opinions.” She also said that the questions failed to address some of students’ main concerns about the rolling gradebook. Jessica critiqued the rolling gradebook itself as well, stating that among other issues, “Many of my peers have expressed that the rolling grade book makes it more difficult to come back from a rocky quarter and can actually be discouraging because students are not seeing the reward for the hard work that they are putting in…having a fresh start allows students to reset and change their attitudes.”
Cindy Yao of Kingston Road, spoke on behalf of the Scarsdale High PTA Executive Committee. She shared that a letter outlining the community’s insights and issues regarding the rolling gradebook had been sent to Principal Kenneth Bonamo and the BOE the day before. “We hope you will take these concerns into account as you evaluate the program,” she said, “…While educators bring your professional expertise to the table, parents offer unique insights based on our experience and observation of our children.”
THE ROLLING GRADEBOOK DISCUSSION TRULY BEGINS
After the Treasurer’s report, which revealed no pressing issues (see the full report here, section 9), the meeting turned back to the controversial rolling gradebook. “We’ve learned a lot from the feedback that’s been shared, and we continue to listen for understanding,” Superintendent Patrick said, as a presentation on the grading system began.
Dr. Edgar McIntosh, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, spoke about how the rolling gradebook came to be instituted. Its origins trace back to a 2017 visit by a Tri-State Consultancy Consortium. The Tri-State report it issued recommended the district take several steps to enhancing students’ well-being, which ultimately led to the rolling gradebook in its current form.
Practice makes perfect? A slide illustrating the factors behind the decision to institute a rolling gradebook.
SHS Principal Kenneth Bonamo came to the podium. “The move to the rolling gradebook at the high school is the latest in a series of steps we have taken…to see how we could make the high school a place where student wellness was on part with our prioritization of academic achievement and engagement,” he explained. Among some of the other steps implemented was to eliminate homework during school breaks, and not administering exams during the first two days after students’ return, and creating of common tutorial time.
“We also began working on how to change the way students experience the end of each academic quarter,” Mr. Bonamo continued. “I’m sure you’re all familiar with the phenomenon of how tests tend to naturally cluster and the end of quarters. A decade prior to that point in time, the school had instituted designated testing days at the end of each quarter where certain subjects were permitted to test only on certain days.
This system, which was designed to help them, ironically encouraged teachers to give tests where they might not logically fall in the pacing of the curriculum, just to abide by the schedule. The inflexibility also did not allow teachers to extend the unit past the end of a quarter, even if they thought it would help students.” A survey, Mr. Bonamo said, indicated that students favored eliminating designated testing days in favor of decided class by class when testing made the most sense.
In the 2019-2020 year, a system was implemented whereby students could advocate for themselves if their planed assessments were in conflict with one another. Matters further evolved in 2022, after a meeting of the Tri-State Consortium left administrators feeling challenged to think in new and different ways about their grading practices and policies. Some, it was proposed, may have been time-honored, but worked against encouraging a growth mindset it students.
Faculty soon began to show a high level of interest in adopting a rolling gradebook, Mr. Bonamo said. “We knew we needed a consistent policy…therefore, in late spring 2023, we planned a pilot of the rolling gradebook in all subject areas…that pilot began in September 2023.” Ultimately, the initiative’s assessment committee recommended the continuation of the rolling gradebook.
In the summer, parental feedback prompted by a student-authored article in the local media expressed concerns and perspectives on the rolling gradebook, particularly around whether it truly encouraged student growth. “It is worth noting that not surveying parents in the spring when we had surveyed students and teachers was, in hindsight, a misstep, “ Principal Bonamo said, adding that the situation will be rectified. Bonamo then shared a slide (below) and contended that the rolling gradebook would boost students’ love of learning for its own sake.
What makes a great grad? Principal Kenneth Bonamo shared an explanatory slide.
Principal Bonamo then shared a second slide (see below) further outlining the rationale behind the rolling gradebook.
Here’s the reasoning A slide shows the perceived benefits of the rolling gradebook.
Principal Bonamo and his fellow presenter, physics teacher Joe Vaughan, did however also speak about the drawbacks of the rolling gradebook. Among them, Mr. Vaughan said, "is “the phenomenon we’ve received feedback on from parents and students, which is that improvement in the second quarter…would not be seen in the rolling gradebook…” In some cases, students say it doesn’t work well for them, he noted. “They prefer the clarity of knowing what their course grade is throughout the year, while others say they miss the validation of seeing the standalone quarterly grade…they feel tied to how they performed in the first quarter, even when a more recent quarter had an improved performance.
“This indeed is the central tension point, and what the community is discussing this year. And that is our ongoing work, which we recognize,” Vaughan said. Principal Bonamo added that school officials are studying ways to increase student understanding of the gradebook so they can take an upcoming survey with greater information. Already, some students have voiced concerns—not only about feeling tied to their previous performance but also having to wait longer for teacher feedback on assignments and tests due to the increased flexibility afforded to their instructors.
What do the students say? A slide showed that most were in favor of adopting the rolling gradebook.
But how do you really feel? A chart showed the perceived pluses and minuses of the rolling gradebook so far.
Students aren’t the only ones who’ve had some negative feedback on the grading system. “During the summer, several parents wrote emails to the Board of Education, the district administration, and the high school administration, the overwhelming majority of which were critical of the rolling gradebook and focused on a few main things,” Mr. Bonamo related. Some complaints echoed those of students; parents also feared that a sudden drop in a student’s grade might be obscured by the rolling gradebook, preventing timely intervention.
Principal Bonamo said that the school is working to clarify practices around assessment feedback and how to communicate them more clearly. “We will be back later in the year with an update on that work,” he promised. He also spoke of plans to make modifications to the system based on the feedback received to date.
QUESTIONS, FRUSTRATION ON THE GRADEBOOK FROM THE BOE
Following Principal Bonamo and Mr. Vaughan’s presentation, the Board shared its thoughts. Among them, Board Member Amber Yusuf questioned whether the grading system is preventing the bunching of tests. Mr. Bonamo said the information is collected through surveys, and the greatest clustering occurs just before school breaks. Board Member Bob Klein praised the presentation, saying it provided much-needed clarification around how the rolling gradebook works.
Board Member Leah Dembitzer asked what outcomes of the rolling gradebook have actually proved beneficial to students so far. Principal Bonamo pointed to the easing of clustering of tests. As for perceptions of how the grading method promotes a growth mindset in students, “it’s a really complicated topic to get students to understand,” he shared. “I think we could do a better job of getting students to understand what that is, and have teachers speak to that more plainly…”
The strongest comments of the evening by far came from Board Member Ron Schulhof. “I’m going to speak plainly and directly tonight,” he sternly said. “Something is broken in our organization related to the process to implement initiatives, reflect and respond to feedback, and make timely adjustments.” He cited the slow timeline for correcting the issue of teachers not providing timely turnaround on students’ assessments and homework. “Clear communication about [this] may not be in place until mid-spring…a year is far too long,” he said. He further cited a slow response to the large number of students with complaints about the rolling gradebook, “The timeframe to me…does not seem student-centered,” he said.
THE SCOOP ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE
Turning attention to a far less controversial topic, the Board then heard about positive changes to the K-12 science curriculum. Science Coordinator/Staff Developer Jennifer Kiley, shared the features of the current K-5 science program (see slide below). She spoke of units on pollination and freshwater. “The focus has shifted from memorizing and regurgitating science fats to cultivating scientific literacy and critical thinking skills,” she said. Fifth graders are studying subjects such as how shadows change length during the day, and the seasonal appearance of stars in the night sky.
Binding them with science Kiley showed a slide indicating how teachers are making science more interesting to students.
FINANCIAL MATTERS
Andrew Lennon spoke next, providing the 2024-2025 financial highlights of the school district. The next step, he said, is to put those financial results into a new financial system the school is using to help with the budgeting process going forward.
Show us the money Lennon shared a slide showing how the district’s recent budgets compared to actual expenditures.
A 5-year plan Another slide showed how the district’s finances will likely look through 2030.
Lessons learned Lennon said these important facts can all be inferred from the data.
POLICY CHANGES AND GENEROUS GIFTS
Superintendent Patrick next shared some policy changes around issues such as bullying and harassment, due a new ruling by the U.S. Department of Education on Title IX.
GRATITUDE FOR GENEROUS GIFTS
After that, Superintendent Patrick expressed thanks of gifts the district has received. The first was from the Edgewood PTA. “It includes support for some texts and translation devices to improve communication, student material centers for the music program, and a couple of other improvements that go beyond the core,” he said. The Board also gratefully accepted a gift of $1,240 to support the purchase of classroom books for Fox Meadow School. In addition, the Board also accepted nearly $5,000 in grade grants and over $900 in playground toys. A gift of $2,073 for cheer props was also accepted with deep thanks.
SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS PERIOD
Community members once more took the podium to share thoughts on top-of-mind issues. The following are summaries of their comments:
Lisa Gans of Harvest Drive echoed concerns about the timeline for refining the rolling gradebook. “Spring is frankly just too late for many students who might be struggling,” she said. She suggested including a numerical rolling grade to give students better feedback on trends in their performance. “There are real emotional and mental health issues with the way grades are being reported under the rolling gradebook,” she asserted.
Jennifer Zola of Carstesen Road reiterated the gradebook’s shortfalls as well. “It does have those missing flags, both positive and negative,” she said. “Quarter one is the same no matter what the grading system is.,There is still time,” she contended, referring to possible improvements.
WRAP-UP REMARKS
Board President Suzie Hahn reminded attendees of upcoming meetings, as seen in the slide below. After a meeting of a variety of topics, and pointed comments about the rolling gradebook, the meeting adjourned.
Let’s meet up Upcoming meetings of public interest