Broad Meadows Middle School Improvement Plan 2025-2026
Quincy Public Schools
Broad Meadows Middle School School Improvement Plan
2025 - 2026
Nicholas J. Ahearn , Principal
Lori Jacobs , Assistant Principal
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Principal’s Path p. 3
- Data Reflection
- Goals Reflection
- VOCAL Reflection
II. School Improvement Plan
A. Goal Statements and Action Steps p. 12
B. Professional Development Plan p. 24
C. Extended Day p. 26
D. Family Engagement and Communication p. 28
III. School Demographics p. 29
IV. Facilities p. 31
V. School Needs p. 32
VI. Budget p. 33
VII. Appendix p. 34
- Spring 2025 MCAS Data
- MAP RIT Scores 2024-2025
- 2025 Accountability
- Spring 2025 VOCAL
- Completed Action Steps
- Staffing: Support Services
- School Council Members
- Principal’s Path
Dear Members of the Quincy School Committee,
As the educational leader of the Broad Meadows Middle School, it is truly my pleasure to submit this document to you, our School Improvement Plan for the 2025/2026 academic school year.
At Broad Meadows Middle School, we will strive for growth in all subject areas in and out of our classrooms as we focus not only on the academic achievement of our students but also on their social and emotional development. Our staff, our students, and our school community continue to work together in the goal of seeing each student reach their full potential in our school. This work will be completed by setting clear S.M.A.R.T. goals and specific actionable steps, which you will find written into our plan.
Beginning in the fall, staff met both in grade level and vertical team meetings to begin to identify areas of focus for our upcoming school year. Using both MAP and MCAS data along with observational assessments from the prior year, our charge was to identify areas of success as well as plan for areas for improvement. One of the throughlines that we have observed in our work at all grade levels and subject areas is the difference in achievement between MAP scores and MCAS scores, which is directly related to the complexity of task and level of text that students interact with on the MCAS assessment. As a result, one of our goals is to focus on more complex problem solving at all grade levels by encouraging students to question, analyze and design solutions to authentic challenges.
In our ELA and Reading classes, this means staff identified idea development in response to text as related specifically to essay writing as an area of focus. They will be working to instruct students on keeping a clear central idea in writing and how they can build and expand on that main idea through the use of text-based evidence to bolster their writing with supporting details. As students write in response to various readings, we look to see their work reflect a deeper understanding of characters, themes, and events.
In mathematics, we have placed a direct focus on the implementation of the new DESMOS curriculum in grades 6 to 8, along with continued fluency practice using ST Math. The focus of DESMOS within the classroom is continuing to build a strong problem solving base where students have the strategies and stamina, along with the knowledge to solve more complex multistep problems. The language of math will also be a focus as students navigate more complex tier 3 vocabulary.
In science this year we will continue to bolster our students' understanding of and connections in the physical science world from grade 6 to grade 8. Through both hands-on and technology assisted activities using an inquiry-driven model, we will continue to implement the OpenSciEd curriculum and lean on the results of rigorous formative, summative, and benchmark assessment data to guide our students through the grade-level curriculum.
Student engagement and belonging at Broad Meadows is also a cornerstone of our success as a school. We encourage everyone to be involved in before or after school activities and at the current time, over 230 students are engaged in learning beyond the bell with 24 members of our teaching staff. These activities are designed to build community and also serve to enrich the physical, emotional and academic development of our students. On any given day at Broad Meadows, you may witness students in our drama program, playing for our volleyball or tennis teams, in Lego Robotics or our homework center, or participating in one of our community service programs like ODW (Operation Days Work), Breakers Brigade, or our BMMS SAVE Chapter. It cannot be overstated how important these connections to the school community are to allow students to chase their passions and experience new opportunities.
As we look beyond the walls of our school, we hope to continue to involve the whole BMMS community in the educational process. As always, we value the connection with our families and encourage them to be involved and well-informed partners in the learning process. To that end, we offer numerous school events and activities to bring our teaching staff, students, parents and guardians together. The help from outside the school supplements the important work done by the teachers and educational staff every day and will allow us to leverage the tremendous strength and diversity of the neighborhood to achieve greater academic success for our student population. This has never been more evident than at our most recent BMMS Color Run, where our school community came together to raise almost $11,000.00 to support our PTO. Our students had a blast, and events like this remind us of the strong commitment that our community makes to our school.
I respectfully submit our 2025/2026 School Improvement Plan and welcome your suggestions and comments as we work together to fulfill the mission of the Quincy Public Schools.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Ahearn
- Data Reflection
MCAS From an achievement view for ELA MCAS, we observed an increase of 1% of our student population meeting or exceeding expectations in grades 6 to 8 from 2024 to 2025. We were also pleased to note a significant decrease in the number of students not meeting expectations by 7% from 2024 to 2025. From a growth standpoint, we noted typical high growth in 6 of 10 subgroups from 2024 to 2025, with typical low growth in the remaining 4 subgroups. The overall student growth percentile for students in grades 6 to 8 was 51.4%.
From an achievement view for Math MCAS, we observed a decrease of 4% of our student population meeting or exceeding expectations in grades 6 to 8 from 2024 to 2025. From a growth standpoint, we noted typical low growth in 7 of 10 subgroups with typical high growth in 3 subgroups. The overall student growth percentile for students in grades 6 to 8 was 45.4%.
From an achievement view for Science MCAS, we observed an increase of 1% of our student population meeting or exceeding expectations in grade 8 from 2023 to 2024. Although we noted a 5% decrease in our constructed response style question points from the prior year, the decrease was 1% less than the overall state decrease of 6% from the prior year. We also noted a 6% increase in selected response style questions from the 2024 school year, which also marked a 3% increase in the overall state percentage.
From an achievement view for Civics MCAS, we observed 33% of our students meeting or exceeding expectations during the 2024-2025 school year. This is a new assessment; thus, we do not have comparative data, but students scored one point above the state average on constructed response style questions and four points below the state average on selected response style questions.
MAP Our MAP assessment data reflected strong growth in several grade-level bands with more modest or stagnant growth in other areas. Specifically, on the Reading MAP assessment, students made strong growth in grades 6 (5.4 RIT points) and 8 ( 1.2 RIT points fall to winter), exceeding our projected growth total in grade 6. In grade 7, we just missed their overall growth target, making 3.5 RIT point growth.
On our Mathematics MAP assessment, students in grades 6 to 8 all met and exceeded growth targets for the year. Growth in grade 6 (11 RIT points), grade 7 (9.1 RIT points), and grade 8 ( 4.9 RIT points fall to winter) almost doubled projected grade growth at each grade level.
Overall, the Science MAP assessment saw growth at all three levels, meeting and exceeding projected growth in grade 6 (4.9 RIT points) and grade 7 (4.3 RIT points) while also meeting our target with 2 RIT point growth from fall to winter in grade 8.
Chronic Absenteeism After seeing an almost 10% decrease in the number of students who were Chronically Absent from 2023 to 2024, we noted an increase in 2024 to 2025 of 3.9% of our students who were labeled as chronically absent from 14% to 17.9%. We hope that through continued vigilance and support protocols to continue to reduce this number during the 2025-2026 school year.
- Goals Reflection
SMART Goal # 1: ELA During the 2024-2025 school year, students in Grades 6-8 will show growth in the Reading MAP Assessment and ELA grades 6-8 MCAS Assessment, specifically in the instructional area of essay writing with a focus on idea development and character analysis. This will be evidenced through an increase of 4% points in essay-style questions from a baseline of 52% on the CU 306 Standards Report. We will utilize MAP benchmark assessments along with formative assessments in winter and spring as a progress monitoring tool with projected RIT growth in grade 6 of 4.5 points and projected RIT growth in grade 7 of 4 points.
As noted above, Broad Meadows Middle School met MAP targets for growth in grade 6 and grade 8 ( fall to winter) while falling just short of our target in grade 7. We also noted a 2.3% increase in essay-style questions in the year, which we note as positive growth, but fell short of our overall target of 4%
SMART Goal # 2: Math During the 2024-2025 school year, students in Grades 6-8 will show growth in the Math MAP Assessment and Math grades 6-8 MCAS Assessment specifically in the instructional area of ratios and proportional relationships (grades 6-7) and expressions and equations (gr.8) in order to improve performance on constructed response questions.
This will be evidenced through an increase of 3% points in constructed response style questions from a baseline of 34% on the CU 306 Standards Report. We will utilize MAP benchmark assessments in winter and spring as a progress monitoring tool with projected RIT growth in grade 6 of 6 points and projected RIT growth in grade 7 of 5.5 points.
As noted above, Broad Meadows Middle School met and exceeded MAP targets for grades 6-8 in mathematics. We also noted a 1.3% increase in constructed response style questions for the year, which was positive growth, but fell short of our overall target of 3%
SMART Goal # 3: Science During the 2024-2025 school year, students in Grades 6-8 will show growth in the Science MAP Assessment and Science grade 8 MCAS Assessment, specifically in the instructional area of Physical Science with a focus on the use of scientific evidence to synthesize and communicate information in order to improve performance on constructed response questions.
This will be evidenced through an increase of 5% points in constructed response style questions from a baseline of 35% on the CU 306 Standards Report. We will utilize MAP benchmark assessments in winter and spring as a progress monitoring tool with projected RIT growth in grade 6 of 4 points and projected RIT growth in grade 7 of 3.5 points.
As noted above, Broad Meadows Middle School met and exceeded MAP targets for grades 6-8 in science. That said, we did note a decrease of 5% in constructed response style questions on the 2024-2025 Science MCAS, but also noted a 6% decrease in the overall state possible points for constructed response. As the assessment continues to evolve with field-tested performance tasks, we will continue to benchmark our students against the changing metrics. We did note a 7% increase in possible points in the Physical Science domain overall, which was a specific area of target.
SMART Goal # 4: Social-Emotional Learning: During the 2024-2025 school year, Broad Meadows Middle School will focus on supporting students’ social and emotional learning through our current PBIS model, community circles, ongoing Open Parachute lessons, and with the partnership of outside agencies like MARC and The Sandy Hook Promise. The impact of this work will be evidenced by an increase in the average overall school index score of 3 points from a 43 (2024 baseline) to 46 (2025 target) on the VOCAL survey.
Using the VOCAL Survey Overall School Index, we noted a decrease from 43 to 41 in the average index score for the 2024-2025 school year. This also resulted in a 3% decrease in the number of students reporting a Somewhat Favorable, Favorable, or Most Favorable rating on the 2024-2025 VOCAL survey.
Although not a specific goal, one of our action steps was to continue to work to improve attendance by reducing Chronic Absenteeism rates. As previously mentioned, after a 10% drop in the prior year, we noted a 3.9% increase in the number of students identified as chronically absent for the 2024-2025 school year.
- VOCAL Reflection
With five years of comparative VOCAL survey data, it has become an increasingly useful tool for the Broad Meadows Middle School Staff to use to gauge our overall school environment, safety, and student engagement. Feedback from the survey is used yearly in planning for the upcoming school year, but also specifically by individual staff and clubs to plan for specific outcomes. Data from the prior year led us to again invite in staff from MARC (Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center) for grade level assemblies, as well as in planning for our second year of our SAVE Club through the Sandy Hook Promise. We are also excited to include other schoolwide events, such as staff from the NAN Project to support mental health specifically in grade 8, Sandy Hook Promise staff for “See Something, Say Something,” and Josh Chuck for a presentation later in the year titled “ Making Waves/ Chinatown Rising”.
The overarching theme reflects a generally positive feeling from Broad Meadows students, with approximately 80% of students holding a Most Favorable, Favorable, or Somewhat Favorable rating of our school, with the number of students holding a Most Favorable or Favorable opinion of our school decreasing by about 3% from the 2024 school year. That said, our focus is always to improve to ensure that every student feels valued, seen, heard, and supported in our school.
From an engagement standpoint, we were pleased to see that students feel like they have good relationships with staff and that they feel staff work to promote positive relationships between students. Students also acknowledged that they are friendly with students who have different backgrounds from them and are excited to learn from those differences. That said, as reflected in the data, elevating student voice within the classroom through guided choices or peer tutoring continues to be an area that we will work on. Programs like the SAVE Chapter, Breakers Brigade and ODW work to give students agency in planning supports both in and out of school.
From a safety standpoint, students expressed that they generally feel physically safe at school, although emotional safety continued to be an area where students expressed mixed feelings. As with bullying, students expressed that they are aware of support staff and structures that are in place to support them when they are feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or targeted, but that these feelings are still there and can impact overall learning. Along with targeted support from our guidance staff, the addition of a part-time adjustment counselor as well as offering in-school therapy with Walker Therapeutic are just some of the ways we can reinforce the message of normalizing discussions around feelings and emotions, which further help staff support our students. We see this reflected in VOCAL data, where students express that they are more inclined to reach out for help and that they know where the help is.
From an environmental standpoint, students generally feel supported in the classroom both by their peers and their teachers, and that staff set high but attainable academic goals. In this area, students also expressed generally that they understand school rules and feel they are enforced appropriately by their teachers, but as with last year, they asked for a greater voice in planning and implementing school rules and guidelines.
One of the areas where we noted a decline was in how students regarded their peers' behavior in class and hallways. Due to this, over the summer, we planned a relaunch our BMMS PBIS model with a more robust Tier 1 system and increased Tier 2 support. We are also now currently using SecurelyPass throughout the building. We hope to see the results of this work both in improved outcomes on the VOCAL survey, but more importantly, in how students view their peers' behavior.
- School Improvement Plan
- Goal Statements and Action Steps
SMART Goal # 1: ELA During the 2025-26 school year, students in Grades 6-8 will show growth in the Reading MAP Assessment and ELA grades 6-8 MCAS Assessment, specifically in the instructional area of essay writing with a focus on idea development and character analysis.
This will be evidenced through an increase of 3% points in essay-style questions from a baseline of 54% on the CU 306 Standards Report. We will utilize MAP benchmark assessments along with formative assessments in winter and spring as a progress monitoring tool with projected RIT growth in grade 6 of 4 points and projected RIT growth in grade 7 of 3.5 points, while grade 8 will show 2-point RIT growth from Fall to Winter.
Action Steps/Monitoring Plan
Step | Strategies/Activities | Timeline | Sources of Evidence | Team/Person Responsible | Status New, Revised or Continued | ||
1. | Implement common academic language across all grade levels for reading and writing skills
| Sept. - June. | Classroom Observations Student sample work Classroom Lessons and Assessments | All grades ELA Staff EL Staff Reading Staff Special Ed Staff | Continued | ||
2. | Use academic vocabulary similar to MCAS across all content areas based on shared vocabulary to improve comprehension skills, especially in the areas of:
Offering explicit lessons on academic vocabulary including words or phrases like
| Sept.- Jan. Blend strategies into one cohesive template Jan.-June Implement in classroom | Classroom Close Reading student visuals Staff-created model for students Classroom Word Walls | All staff | Revised | ||
3. | Provide opportunities for choice based on students’ diverse interests and Lexile levels, when applicable. This action step aims to:
| Sept. - June | Diverse news media articles Classroom libraries Anthologies Media Center book selection process | ELA Staff EL Staff Reading Staff Special Ed Staff Media center Staff | Continued | ||
4. | Employ common graphic organizers and rubrics (MCAS writing rubric) as well as common best writing strategies based on the type or genre of writing, including CER (Claim, Evidence Reasoning) or RACES (Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain, Summarize) while Reading and ELA staff model strategies in the classroom. Sharing these tools with Science and Social Studies Staff for continuity. | Sept. - June | Student work samples Classroom observations | All Staff | Revised | ||
5. | Implement various “mentor texts” related to narrative and expository/argumentative writing as a guide for students. Analysis of MCAS prompts shows primarily narratives and or expository/argumentative. Mentor texts will include:
| Sept. - June | Student work based on the use of: Informative Articles Famous Speeches Short Stories Short Poems | ELA Staff EL Staff Reading Staff Special Ed Staff | Continued | ||
6. | Model and practice purposeful text summarization to identify central ideas. | Sept. - June | Classroom Observations Student work samples | ELA Staff EL Staff Reading Staff Special Ed Staff | Continued | ||
7. | ELA and Reading teachers will implement MCAS style text-based common writing assessment graded with a common rubric (Narrative for ELA, MCAS 2025 released item READING) in NOVEMBER and APRIL as a progress monitoring tool. Sample: Narrative Prompt will be the same across all three grades: Based on Runt, write a narrative that tells the events of the passage from Runt’s mother’s point of view. Use what you know about the characters, setting, and events from the passage to write your narrative. | November and April | Common prompts Common Rubric Anchor Papers | ELA Staff Reading Staff EL Staff Special Ed Staff | New | ||
Social Studies Goal: In support of the English/ Language Arts goal, the Social Studies Vertical Team will focus on the instructional area of essay writing with a focus on comparing and contrasting various themes such as political structures and cultural, religious and economic development.
Action Steps/Monitoring Plan
Step | Strategies/Activities | Timeline | Sources of Evidence | Team/Person Responsible | Status New, Revised or Continued | ||
1. | Consistently use strategies to improve comprehension:
in paragraph form as well as charts/graphic organizers Apply vocabulary strategies to enhance comprehension in social studies using Keys to Vocabulary | Sept. - June Weekly | Student Work Samples | 6th 7th 8th Grades and LDC | Continued | ||
2. | Using a multitude of informational texts from a variety of sources, students will identify the Key Ideas and Details of passages via Close Reading strategies as well as being able to summarize or form an opinion on Primary and Secondary sources. | Sept. - June 6th - Weekly 7th, 8th - Twice Weekly | Classroom Lessons/ Observations | 6th 7th 8th Grades and LDC | Revised | ||
3. | Consistently use instructional strategies to increase comprehension and understanding
| Sept. - June Bi-Weekly | Classroom Lessons/ Observations | 6th 7th 8th Grades and LDC | Continued | ||
4. | Unit assessments will include constructed and selected response questions modeled in the Civics MCAS Test, and informational text requiring students to cite textual evidence and the analysis of a primary/secondary source. Also included in these constructed responses will be a requirement of analysis of multiple sources. Staff will also use varied forms of informational texts i.e cartoons, pictures, newspaper articles | Sept. - June Bi-Weekly | Student Formative and Summative Assessments | 6th 7th 8th Grades and LDC | Revised | ||
5. | Vertical Team time will be spent during the 2025-2026 school year exploring released materials from the 2025 Grade 8 Civics MCAS. | Meetings in October, January, February, March and May | Incorporation of assessment style into current formative assessments | All Social Studies Teachers | Revised | ||
SMART Goal # 2: Math During the 2025-2026 school year, students in Grades 6-8 will show growth in the Math MAP Assessment and Math grades 6-8 MCAS Assessment, specifically in the instructional area of ratios and proportional relationships (grades 6-7) and functions (gr.8) in order to improve performance on constructed response questions.
This will be evidenced through an increase of 3% points in constructed response style questions from a baseline of 35.5% on the CU 306 Standards Report. We will utilize MAP benchmark assessments in winter and spring as a progress monitoring tool with projected RIT growth in grade 6 of 8 points, projected RIT growth in grade 7 of 6 points and projected RIT growth in grade 8 of 3 points from fall to winter.
Action Steps/Monitoring Plan
Step | Strategies/Activities | Timeline | Sources of Evidence | Team/Person Responsible | Status New, Revised or Continued | ||
1 | Teachers analyzed 2024-2025 MAP/MCAS data to understand specific grade-level areas of need and selected ratios and proportional relationships in grades 6 and 7 and functions in grade 8 as areas of focus. | September, January, June | MAP Assessment Data | Math Staff Special Education Staff | Revised | ||
2 | Implementation of DESMOS Math Curriculum Grades 6 -8 | September to June | Classroom Implementation observations, lessons and follow up professional development | Math Staff Special Education Staff | New | ||
3 | Additional emphasis throughout lessons on understanding if numerical answers make sense in relation to the problem and understanding that values can be represented in different ways (i.e. fractions, percentages and decimals). | October - June Strategy used daily in classroom | Student work samples | Math Staff Special Education Staff | Continued | ||
4 | Use built-in Math Fluency Practice (Desmos Amplify) app at least once a week to address fact fluency. (Gr 8 Fact Friday, Grade 6 and 7 1x per week) | October - June | Math Staff Special Education Staff | New | |||
5 | Use of ST Math Program in grades 6,7 and 7 to bolster problem solving skills and increase number sense. | October - June | Student usage data and embedded assessments | Math Staff Special Education Staff | Continued | ||
6 | Incorporate MCAS release items into each assessment for question type exposure for each assessment aligned with curriculum target areas | October - June | Math Staff Special Education Staff | Revised | |||
7 | Use visual vocabulary in the classroom (word wall, anchor charts) in each math classroom to highlight complex mathematical language | November - May | Visual in classroom | Math Staff Special Education Staff | New | ||
8 | Using assessment data as a guide, Grade 6 will emphasize using ratio and rate reasoning to solve real world problems during math lessons and on classroom assessments. | January - April | Classroom Observations/ Student Work | Grade 6 Math Staff Special Education Staff | Continued | ||
9 | Using assessment data as a guide, Grade 7 will emphasize recognizing and representing proportional relationships between quantities during math lessons and on classroom assessments. | January - April | Classroom Observations/ Student Work | Grade 7 Math Staff Special Education Staff | Continued | ||
10 | Using assessment data as a guide, Grade 8 will emphasize functions and related vocabulary during math lessons and on classroom assessments. | January - April | Classroom Observations/ Student Work | Grade 8 Math Staff Special Education Staff | Revised | ||
SMART Goal # 3: Science During the 2025-2026 school year, students in Grades 6-8 will show growth in the Science MAP Assessment, specifically in the instructional area of Physical Science and the Science grade 8 MCAS Assessment, with a focus on the use of scientific evidence to synthesize and communicate information to improve performance on constructed response questions.
This will be evidenced through an increase of 5% points in constructed response style questions from a baseline of 30% on the CU 306 Standards Report. We will utilize MAP benchmark assessments in winter and spring as a progress-monitoring tool, with projected RIT growth of 7 points in grade 6, 6 points in grade 7, and 3.5 points in grade 8 (as measured from fall to winter).
Action Steps/Monitoring Plan
Step | Strategies/Activities | Timeline | Sources of Evidence | Team/ Person Responsible | Status New/ Revised/ Continued |
1. | Teachers will analyze 2025 MAP/MCAS data to understand specific grade-level areas of need and specific areas of weakness. | October, January, June | MCAS/MAP Assessment Data | Grade 6,7, and 8 Science and Technology/ Engineering Staff | Continued |
2. | Teachers will provide multiple opportunities for students to engage in the 8 MA STE Science and Engineering Practices. This will occur through multiple interactive hands-on labs. | September 2025 - June 2026 | Student work samples (physical and virtual): Interactive notebooks, student-created models, assessments, science and engineering activities, teacher lesson plans and rubrics, displays, student presentations, STEM fair, and administrative walkthroughs | Grade 6,7, and 8 Science and Technology/ Engineering Staff | Continue |
3. | Students will utilize Interactive Notebooks and lessons to positively portray student learning of science concepts aligned with grade-level Science and Technology/ Engineering Learning Standards | September 2025 - June 2026 | Student Interactive Notebooks and student-designed products. | Grade 6, 7, and 8 Science and Technology/ Engineering Staff | Continued |
4. | Expand Implementation of OpenSciEd and virtual models such as PhET, Gizmos, and practice questions to prepare for the new MCAS. | October 2025 - June 2026 | Gr. 6: OpenSciEd Cells and Plate Tectonics Curriculum lesson; Gr. 7 OpenSciEd Thermal Energy; Gr. 8 OpenSciEd Weather Unit; Gr. 6 ,7, & 8: PhET (Physics Education Technology Simulations) Grades 6,7, & 8 Gizmo Digital Simulations Training on PD day, November 4, 2025 Student artifacts | Grade 6,7, and 8 Science and Technology/ Engineering Staff | Revised |
5. | Modify a Gizmos student-exploration question to ensure students are using evidence to support their reasoning. Utilize this as a common benchmark assessment twice during the year to norm expectations on multi-step problems | January 2026 - April 2026 | Assessments (work samples, 2-4 per grade) | Grade 6,7, and 8 Science and Technology/ Engineering Staff | New |
6. | Continue Project Lead the Way (Engineering curriculum) for all students in grades 6-8, with a focus in grade 8 on storyline-based inquiry as it applies to analysis of classroom projects. | October 2025 - June 2026 | Student work samples (physical and virtual), notebooks, teacher lesson plans and rubrics, and administrative walkthroughs | Technology Engineering Teacher | Revised |
7. | STEM Fair with a focus on using evidence to support reasoning. | March 2026 | Student projects | Grade 6,7, and 8 Science Staff | Continued |
SMART Goal # 4: Social-Emotional Learning: During the 2025-2026 school year, Broad Meadows Middle School will focus on supporting students’ social and emotional learning through our re-launched PBIS model, increased student engagement opportunities, ongoing Open Parachute lessons, targeted guidance support and with the partnership of outside agencies like MARC and The Sandy Hook Promise. The impact of this work will be evidenced by an increase in the average overall school index score of 4 points from a 41 (2025 baseline) to 45 (2026 target) on the VOCAL survey.
Action Steps/Monitoring Plan
Step | Strategies/Activities | Timeline | Sources of Evidence | Team/Person Responsible | Status New, Revised or Continued | ||
1. | Review Open Parachute resources and identify topics for the 2025-2026 school year. Each grade level will identify a day of the week to implement Open Parachute lessons during SSB block. Implementation begins in October on Wednesdays. | September - with implementation in October | Classroom Lessons | All School Teaching Staff | Continued | ||
2. | Re-Launch of Breakers Building Character PBIS Model | September | Classroom Lessons and Weekly Celebrations with Breakers Bank | All School Teaching Staff | New | ||
3. | Continue with the implementation of restorative practices to support problem solving and issue resolution with students for disciplinary offenses. | September 2024 and ongoing through school year | Student Meetings | All School Teaching Staff led by Guidance and Administrative Team | Continued | ||
4. | Teachers will analyze 2024-2025 VOCAL Survey data to understand overall student opinions about Broad Meadows Middle School | Professional Development on 10/22/2025 and 2/25/2026 | VOCAL Survey | All School Teaching Staff | Revised | ||
5. | Create and adopt monthly DEI focus topics to be supported by academic program staff during the year, with specific activities and projects related to the monthly theme. This will include monthly themed bulletin boards to highlight the topic. | September - June | Monthly themed bulletin boards, newsletters | All School Teaching Staff led by Academic Program Staff | Revised | ||
6. | In conjunction with DOVE, work with students on building healthy relationships | October- November | Health Classes | Health Education Teacher | Continued | ||
7. | Students will attend a presentation from the staff of MARC (Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center Gr. 6,7), Sandy Hook Promise (See Something Say Something Gr. 6-8), NAN Project (Grade 8) and Making Waves Chinatown Rising (Gr. 6-8) | October, November, March, April | Assemblies | All School Teaching Staff | New | ||
8. | Incorporate Community Circles into SSB blocks and academic classes as needed in conjunction with Open Parachute Lessons | October - June | Classroom Lessons | All School Teaching Staff | Continued | ||
9. | Offer a large number of varying before and after school activities to encourage students' involvement at Broad Meadows | October - December (Session 1) February - May (Session 2) | Extended Day programming | Broad Meadows Middle School Staff working extended day programming | Revised | ||
10. | Targeted guidance lessons during health class introducing strategies for emotional regulation and self-awareness including mindfulness strategies, and growth mindset strategies. | December - March | Classroom Lessons | Guidance Staff | New | ||
11. | Use weekly SST meetings to chart student chronic absenteeism to make necessary recommendations as needed to attendance officers for additional support. Celebrate achievement at trimester celebrations | Attendance Celebrations - Monthly October - June Student Achievement Assemblies - December, April, June | School Assemblies and Celebrations | All School Teaching Staff led by Guidance and Administrative Staff at lunches | Continued | ||
12. | Saturday School options for alternative discipline and academic support | 6 Sessions September - June | Attendance | BMMS Staff | Revised | ||
B. Professional Development Plan
Date | Time | Location | Participants (Team/Grade Level) | Topic | Presenters |
September 2, 2025 | 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM | Broad Meadows Middle School | All BMMS Staff | Principal Professional Development: Grade Level Team Meetings, Review of Safety Protocols, Health Guidelines, Civil Rights Training | Administrative Team/ School Nurse/ Guidance Staff |
September 10, 2025 | 1:00 - 3:00 PM | Broad Meadows Middle School | All BMMS Staff | Overview of MCAS Data from prior year/ Reintroduction to BMMS Breakers Building Character PBIS Plan and training on SecurelyPass | Administrative Team/ Teacher Facilitators |
October 8, 2025 | 1:00 - 2:30 PM | Broad Meadows Middle School | All BMMS Staff | Principal Professional Development: Grade Level Team Meetings, Vertical Teams for data analysis and to finalize 2025-2026 Goals and Action Steps | Administrative Team/ Teacher Facilitators |
October 22, 2025 | 1:00 - 4:30 PM | Broad Meadows Middle School | All BMMS Staff | Assessment Day #1 Review of Current MCAS/MAP Data Planning for 2024-2025 Action Steps and SMART Goals Vertical Teams for data analysis and to finalize 2025-2026 Goals and Action Steps | Administrative Team/ Teacher Facilitators |
November 4, 2025 | 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM | Quincy High School | All BMMS Staff | System-wide Professional Development | District Facilitators |
November 19, 2025 | 2:30 - 3:30 PM | Broad Meadows Middle School | All BMMS Staff | Grade Level Team Meetings on Grading, Saturday School, Student Updates, SOTT Selection | Administrative Team/ Teacher Facilitators |
December 3, 2025 | 2:30 - 3:30 PM | Broad Meadows Middle School | All BMMS Staff | Principal Professional Development:Vertical Team Meetings | Administrative Team/ Teacher Facilitators |
January 7, 2026 | 1:00 - 3:00 PM | Broad Meadows Middle School | All BMMS Staff | Principal Professional Development: Vertical Team ELA, Reading S.S. - Writing Revolution Common Approach and Scoring Math - Guided Math Science Common Scoring of Multistep Problem MCAS anchor | Administrative Team/ Teacher Facilitators |
February 11, 2026 | 1:00 - 4:30 PM | Various locations in the district | All BMMS Staff | System-wide Professional Development | District Facilitators |
February 25, 2026 | 1:00 - 2:30 PM | Broad Meadows Middle School | All BMMS Staff | Principal Professional Development: Grade Level Team Meetings MCAS Training | Administrative Team/ Teacher Facilitators |
March 11, 2026 | 1:00 - 3:00 PM | Broad Meadows Middle School | All BMMS Staff | Assessment Day #2 Analysis of mid year MAP Data/MCAS Update | Administrative Team/ Teacher Facilitators |
April 8, 2026 | 1:00 - 3:00 PM | Various locations in the district | All BMMS Staff | System-wide Professional Development | District Facilitators |
April 29, 2026 | 1:00 - 2:30 PM | Broad Meadows Middle School | All BMMS Staff | Principal Professional Development: Grade Level Team Meetings/ Vertical Team Meetings | Administrative Team/ Teacher Facilitators |
May 27, 2026 | 1:00 - 2:30 PM | Broad Meadows Middle School | All BMMS Staff | Assessment Day #3 Vertical Team Meetings Reflection on 2025-2026 SIP Goals & Action Steps | Administrative Team/ Teacher Facilitators |
June 10, 2026 | 1:00 - 3:00 PM | Broad Meadows Middle School | All BMMS Staff | Principal Professional Development: Grade Level Team Meetings, Advanced Course List Planning for 2026-2027 School Year | Administrative Team/ Teacher Facilitators |
C. Extended Day Offerings
Dates | Club or Activity | Target Audience | Location |
September/ October 2025 | Boys and Girls Cross Country | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | Broad Meadows Middle School/ Pageant Field |
September 2025- October 2025 | Extramural Tennis | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | BMMS Tennis Courts |
October 2025 - March 2026 (Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays) | BMMS Drama Club and Set Design/Tech Crew | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | Performing Arts Room/ Auditorium |
October 2025- May 2026 (2 sessions) Tuesdays | Lego Robotics Team 1 | Broad Meadows Students Grade 6 | Technology and Engineering Classroom |
October 2025 - May 2026 (2 sessions) Thursdays | Lego Robotics Team 2 | Broad Meadows Students Grades 7-8 | Technology and Engineering Classroom |
October 2025 - November 2025 | Flag Football | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | Field behind BMMS |
October 2025 - January 2026 | Fantasy Football | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | BMMS Media Center |
October 2025 - June 2026 (Tuesdays and Thursdays) | Afterschool Homework Club | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | Rm. 115 |
October 2025- June 2026 | Morning Math Support | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | Rm. 115 |
October 2025- June 2026 | Breakers Brigade | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | Main Office |
October 2025 - May 2026 | ODW (Operation Days Work) | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | Rm. 214 |
October 2025 - December 2025 | BOKS Morning Games | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | BMMS Gym |
November 2025 - December 2025 | Extramural Volleyball | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | BMMS Gym |
November 2025- May 2026 | BMMS SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Chapter | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | Rm. 211 |
January 2026 - May 2026 | Art Club | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | BMMS Art Room |
January 2026 - May 2026 | Yearbook Design Club | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | BMMS Art Room |
January 2026- February 2026 | Extramural Wrestling | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | Quincy High School |
January 2026 - April 2026 | BMMS Pickleball | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | BMMS Gym |
January 2026- February 2026 | Intramural Basketball Grade 6 (Morning) Grade 7 & 8 Afternoon | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | BMMS Gym |
February 2026 - March 2026 | Extramural Swimming | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | Lincoln Hancock Pool |
March 2026 - April 2026 | Intramural Floor Hockey | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | BMMS Gym |
April 2026 - May 2026 | Extramural Boys and Girls Track & Field | Broad Meadows Students Grades 6-8 | Broad Meadows Middle School |
D. Family Engagement and Communication
Date | Topic | Target Audience | Location |
Late August 2025 | School Tours | Broad Meadows Middle School New Students | School Building |
September 2025 - June 2026(Weekly) | Family Communication Newsletter through S’more | Broad Meadows Middle School Families | Distributed through ASPEN |
September 11, 2025 | Open House | Broad Meadows Middle School Families | School Building |
Monthly September 2025- June 2026 | Monthly PTO Meetings | Broad Meadows Middle School Families | School Building |
October 27, 2025 | BMMS Color Run | Broad Meadows Middle School Families | School Building |
November 1, 2025 & December 23, 2025 | Food Drive/ Holiday Assistance | Broad Meadows Middle School Families | School Building |
November 10, 2025 | Veteran’s Day Assembly | Broad Meadows Middle School Students | School Building |
December 5, 2025 | ‘Tis The Season Band Field Trip | Broad Meadows Middle School Band Students | Quincy High School |
December 2025 | Curriculum Newsletter | Broad Meadows Middle School Families | Distributed through ASPEN |
December 16, 2025 / May 2025 | Chorus and Band Concerts | Broad Meadows Middle School Families | School Building |
December 10, 2025 & December 17, 2025 | Report Card Conferences
| Broad Meadows Middle School Families | School Building |
February 6-8, 2026 | Drama Presentation of Into The Woods Jr. . | BMMS Drama Club | School Building |
March 2026 | STEM Fair | Broad Meadows Students | School Building |
May 2026 | Spring Dance | Broad Meadows Students | School Building |
June 2026 | Honor’s Banquet | Broad Meadows Students | School Building |
June 2026 | Promotional Ceremony | Broad Meadows Students | School Building |
June 2026 | 5th Grade Fly-Up | Broad Meadows Incoming Grade 5 Students | School Building |
III. School Demographics as of 11/1/2025
Total Enrollment | Special Education | Low Income (Eligible for Free & Reduced Meals) | ELE (English Learners) | FEL (Former English Learners) |
330 (+10 from previous year) | 120 (36.4%) | 200 (60.6%) | 34 (10.3%) | 40 (12.1%) |
Race | Subgroup Populations | Percentage of Enrollment |
Asian | 70 | 21.2% |
Black/African American | 39 | 11.8% |
Hispanic or Latino | 42 | 12.7% |
Multiracial, non-Hispanic | 19 | 5.8% |
Native American | 0 | 0% |
Pacific Island | 0 | 0% |
White | 160 | 48.5% |
Advanced Class Enrollment (Grades 6-8) | # of Students in Advanced out of # in Subgroup | % of Population |
All Students Enrolled | 82 of 330 | 24.8% |
Low Income | 34 of 200 | 17.0% |
Asian | 30 of 70 | 42.9% |
Black/African American | 3 of 39 | 7.7% |
Hispanic/Latino | 6 of 42 | 14.3% |
Multiracial | 3 of 19 | 15.8% |
Native American | 0 of 0 | 0% |
Pacific Island | 0 of 0 | 0% |
White | 40 of 160 | 25.0% |
Core Academic Class Sizes (General Education) (As of 11/19/2025)
20 or fewer | 21-23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | |
Gr. 6 - 8 75 sections | 59 (78.7%) | 13 (17.3%) | 3 (4.0%) |
- 100% of core academic class sections have 25 or fewer students, no change from the 2024-25 school year.
- Broad Meadows is also home to the citywide Special Education Language Development program with 51 students across Grades 6-8 in class sections of 9-12 students.
2024-2025 SSDR Incident Data
Total Incidents | # of Incidents Resulting in Suspension | % of Incidents Resulting in Suspension |
13 | 7 | 54% |
IV. Facilities
2024-2025 Improvements
- Completion of walkways entrances on right side of building
- Replacement of awning on left side of building and patching of awning on front of building
- Pipe replacement with temporary piping to replace leak
- Abatement and replacement of tiles in guidance offices, nurses office, Rm. 112 and Rm. 110 and several office spaces
- Replacement of ceiling tiles and installation of drop ceiling in Rm. 104, 106, 109, 111
2024-2025 Facility Needs | 2025-2026 Facility Needs |
|
|
V. School Needs (Materials, Supplies, Technology, Etc.)
2024-2025 School Needs | 2025-2026 School Needs |
|
|
VI. Budget
Amount available in 2025-2026 | |
TEXT/LEARNING MATERIALS (textbooks and learning materials/supplies needed to support classroom instruction) | $ 6,460.00 |
SUPPLIES (pens, pencils, rulers, paper,glue, photocopy paper, etc.) | $ 12,070.00 |
ACTIVITY STIPEND ACCOUNT | $ 25,737.00 |
OTHER: (art supplies, science supplies, library, etc.) | |
Art Supplies | $ 1,152.00 |
Science Supplies | $ 1,020.00 |
P.E. Supplies | $ 185.00 |
Library | $ 2,500.00 |
SPECIAL FUNDING (gifts, grants, partnerships, PTO, etc.) | |
P.T.O. (approximate) | $ 15,000.00 |
TOTAL | $ 64,124.00 |
VII. Appendix
- Spring 2025 MCAS Data
(Spring 2025 MCAS Edwin PE303 Report)
English Language Arts (E/M %) | |||
Grade | School 2024 | School 2025 | State 2025 |
6 | 55% | 48% | 42% |
7 | 35% | 41% | 42% |
8 | 39% | 42% | 44% |
Mathematics (E/M %) | |||
Grade | School 2024 | School 2025 | State 2025 |
6 | 27% | 27% | 41% |
7 | 29% | 26% | 39% |
8 | 25% | 18% | 38% |
STE (E/M %) | |||
Grade | School 2024 | School 2025 | State 2025 |
8 | 26% | 27% | 37% |
CIVICS (E/M %) | |||
Grade | School 2024 | School 2025 | State 2025 |
8 | N/A | 33% | 39% |
B. NWEA MAP 2024-2025 Data
MAP Math RIT 2024-2025 | |||
Grade | Fall | Winter | Spring |
6 | 209.9 | 215 | 220.9 |
7 | 216.2 | 220.7 | 225.3 |
8 | 223.1 | 228 | - |
MAP Reading RIT 2024-2025 | |||
Grade | Fall | Winter | Spring |
6 | 208.9 | 211.6 | 214.3 |
7 | 214.7 | 216.3 | 218.2 |
8 | 218.3 | 219.5 | - |
MAP Science RIT 2024-2025 | |||
Grade | Fall | Winter | Spring |
6 | 205.1 | 208.1 | 210.1 |
7 | 210 | 212.4 | 214.3 |
8 | 212.4 | 214.4 | - |
C. Spring 2025 Accountability Data
D. Spring 2025 VOCAL Results (Grade 8)
Dimension | Description | Always/ Mostly True | Mostly Untrue/ Never True |
ENG | Adults working at this school treat all students respectfully, regardless of a student's race, culture, family income, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. | 92.5% | 7.5% |
ENG | My textbooks or class materials include people and examples that reflect my race, cultural background and/or identity. | 62.0% | 38.0% |
ENG | Students from different backgrounds respect each other in our school, regardless of their race, culture, family income, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. | 77.4% | 22.6% |
ENG | Students are open to having friends who come from different backgrounds (for example, friends from different races, cultures, family incomes, or religions, or friends of a different sex, or sexual orientation). | 93.5% | 6.5% |
ENG | In my academic classes, I work with groups of students who are from different backgrounds (for example, students from different races, cultures, family incomes, or religions, or students of a different sex or sexual orientation). | 94.6% | 5.4% |
ENG | My parents feel respected when they participate at our school (e.g., at parent-teacher conferences, open houses). | 89.2% | 10.8% |
ENG | My teachers use my ideas to help my classmates learn. | 45.2% | 54.8% |
ENG | I have a choice in how I show my learning (e.g., write a paper, prepare a presentation, make a video). | 69.9% | 30.1% |
ENG | In my classes, my teachers use students' interests to plan class activities. | 46.2% | 53.8% |
ENG | My classmates behave the way my teachers want them to. | 38.7% | 61.3% |
ENG | In at least two of my academic classes, students are asked to teach a lesson or part of a lesson. | 43.0% | 57.0% |
ENG | In at least two of my academic classes, students plan and work on projects that solve real-world problems. | 77.4% | 22.6% |
ENG | In my academic classes, students review each other's work and provided advice on how to improve it. | 51.6% | 48.4% |
ENG | In my classes, teachers use open-ended questions that make students think of many possible answers. | 78.5% | 21.5% |
ENG | I can connect what I learn in on class to what I learn in other classes. | 71.0% | 29.0% |
ENG | In my academic classes, students wrestle with problems that don't have an obvious answer. | 55.4% | 44.6% |
ENG | Students respect one another. | 51.6% | 48.4% |
ENG | Teachers are available when I need to talk with them. | 80.6% | 19.4% |
ENG | Adults at our school are respectful of student ideas even if the ideas expressed are different from their own. | 81.7% | 18.3% |
ENG | My teachers promote respect among students. | 92.5% | 7.5% |
ENV | Students have a voice in deciding school rules. | 23.7% | 76.3% |
ENV | School staff are consistent when enforcing rules in school. | 84.9% | 15.1% |
ENV | Teachers give students a chance to explain their behavior when they do something wrong. | 54.8% | 45.2% |
ENV | My teachers will first try to help (guide) students who break class rules, instead of punishing them. | 44.1% | 55.9% |
ENV | Students help each other learn without having to be asked by the teacher. | 74.2% | 25.8% |
ENV | My teachers are proud of me when I work hard in school. | 90.3% | 9.7% |
ENV | My teachers set high expectations for my work. | 86.0% | 14.0% |
ENV | My teachers believe that all students can do well in their learning. | 88.2% | 11.8% |
ENV | My school work is challenging (hard) but not too difficult. | 86.0% | 14.0% |
ENV | My teachers support me even when my work is not my best. | 72.0% | 28.0% |
ENV | The things I am learning in school are relevant (important) to me. | 58.1% | 41.9% |
ENV | Students are given multiple opportunities to show that they have mastered their classwork. | 81.7% | 18.3% |
ENV | Our school offers guidance to students on how to mediate (settle) conflicts (e.g., arguments, fights) by themselves. | 72.0% | 28.0% |
ENV | If I need help with my emotions (feelings), effective help is available at my school. | 75.0% | 25.0% |
SAF | If I tell a teacher or other adult that someone is being bullied, the teacher/adult will do something to help. | 80.4% | 19.6% |
SAF | Teachers don't let students pick on other students in class or in the hallways. | 72.0% | 28.0% |
SAF | Students at school try to stop bullying when they see it happening. | 52.7% | 47.3% |
SAF | Students have spread rumors or lies about me more than once on social media. | 25.8% | 74.2% |
SAF | Teachers, students, and the principal work together to prevent (stop) bullying. | 68.8% | 31.2% |
SAF | In my school, groups of students tease or pick on one student. | 39.8% | 60.2% |
SAF | I have been called names or made fun of by other students more than once in school. | 44.1% | 55.9% |
SAF | In my school, bigger students taunt or pick on smaller students. | 23.7% | 76.3% |
SAF | Teachers support (help) students who come to class upset. | 67.7% | 32.3% |
SAF | I feel comfortable reaching out to teachers/counselors for emotional support if I need it. | 48.4% | 51.6% |
SAF | Students will help other students if they are upset, even if they are not close friends. | 50.5% | 49.5% |
SAF | Because I worry about my grades, it is hard for me to enjoy school. | 48.4% | 51.6% |
SAF | Students at school damage and/or steal other students' property. | 48.4% | 51.6% |
SAF | I have seen students with weapons at our school. | 8.6% | 91.4% |
F. Staffing: Support Services
1 | Nurse |
3 | Special Education Teachers (Resource Room/Inclusion) |
5 | Special Education Teachers (Substantially Separate) |
2 | Guidance Counselors/Chairperson |
1 | ELL Teacher |
0.5 | Speech and Language Instructor |
0.6 | School Psychologist |
0.1 | Occupational Therapist |
1 | Librarian |
0.4 | Adjustment Counsellor |
G. School Council Members
A school council is a representative, school building-based committee composed of the principal, parents, teachers, community members and, at the secondary level, students, required to be established by each school pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71, Section 59C. https://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/advisory/schoolcouncils/
Chair/Principal: Nicholas Ahearn /s/ Nicholas Ahearn
Co-Chair: Amy Herlihy /s/Amy Herlihy
Teachers: Alicia Kane /s/ Alicia Kane
Lori Jacobs /s/ Lori Jacobs
Parent: Jill Hockney /s/ Jill Hockney
Community
Representative: Alex Wersted /s/ Alex Wersted