Education Committee Workshop 4/1/10

April 1st, the BOA's Education Committee (I am a member) met and held a Workshop (open to public but usually no public testimony heard) to get a briefing from NHPS on "School Change."  Asst. Superintendent for Portfolio and Performance Management, Garth Harries and NHPS COO, Will Clark briefed the committee and answered questions.  While the school district has held many meetings to inform the community, answer questions, and get input, BOE staff had not formally chatted with BOA members in awhile on the subject of their efforts on implementing "School Change."  This was a good opportunity for BOA members to hear from Harries and Clark and to have a dialogue.  The BOA's main oversight role over the BOE is the annual appropriation of operating funds.  However, many Aldermen have heard from their constituents that in addition and in conjunction with their financial oversight that it would be great to get updates and check the progress of the reform/change initiatives.

The briefing included sharing the main goals of School Change: close the performance gap of New Haven students and the rest of the State in 5 yrs, cut the drop-out rate in half, and ensure every graduate has the academic ability and financial resources to attend and succeed in college.  There are three major strategies to achieve these goals: Community, Talent (teachers & administrators), and having a "Portfolio of Schools."  This "Portfolio" idea comes from the realization that a completely centralized, district-wide management is not appropriate for the diversity of the City's many schools.  The schools are thus evaluated individually and "graded" into three Tiers.  This "tiering" is accomplished with new and developing assessment criteria which initially relies heavily on test performance (because that's what has been emphasized by the State & Fed) BUT also looks at individual student growth measured against the student's peer group.  The available data has been plotted and from this chart seven schools have been tiered in as pilot schools to begin school change.  Edgewood and Davis are Tier 1, Daniels & King Robinson are Tier 2, Barnard is a Tier 3 (Improvement), and Brennan-Rogers and Urban Youth are Tier 3 (Turnaround) schools.  The Principals from these schools were also introduced and provided a brief introduction to their plans and hopes.  The tiering will differentiate the level of Autonomy and Accountability Continuum.  These pilot schools are making their new management plans to be submitted for approval by the BOE and the district by early May.  Curriculum, Assessment, Governance & Policies, Behavior & School Culture, External Partnerships, Professional Development, Staffing, School Calendar and Schedule, and Budget are the main components that each school will analyze and incorporate into their reform/change plan.

This is obviously a very brief summary of School Change.  I have attended many meetings and briefings so far, and I'd be happy to answer any and all questions, please call or email.  With vested interest and your interests in mind, I will be active in the oversight and collaboration required to help implement School Change that will truly benefit our kids.

Please find a lot of information including the Grading ("Bubble") Charts, documentations, survey results, printed versions of School Change presentations, etc. on the School Change website: Main Page and Documents/Charts Page.

NHPS Plot ("Bubble") Chart (at or above proficient)
NHPS Plot ("Bubble") Chart (at or above goal)

Magnet School Applications due Feb 12th

Magnet School Applications are due by Friday, Feb. 12th. There is a Citywide information Fair on Wednesday, Jan. 13 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the New Haven Field House at Hill House HS.

You can download an application and visit the NHPS Magnet Schools web-page for more information. A list of all Open Houses can be found here, including:

EDGEWOOD MAGNET (K-8) Open Houses
737 Edgewood Ave., (203) 946-8611
Thursday, Jan. 14, 6:30pm
Thursday, Jan. 21, 10am
Wednesday, Jan. 27, 10am

Edgewood Magnet School requires an application to attend and applicants will be given Neighborhood and Sibling preference. Applicants wishing to check/confirm they live in the "attendance zone" should check the Registration Street Directory from the NHPS website.

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND you drop off applications IN PERSON at 54 Meadow Street and get a receipt. There are lots of rumors regarding this process. Please CALL me with any questions. Also, I'd like to hear from prospective Edgewood Kindergarten parents and anyone new to the neighborhood/school that plans to apply for a grades 1-8 spot, please call or email. Thanks!

Email

Please send me your email address if you would like to get Neighborhood News, Info & Updates.

dildine2009@comcast.net

Thanks!

Newest BOE member is Edgewood Parent

I recently met (briefly) the newest NHPS Board of Education member, Ferdinand L. Risco Jr., the other day at the Inauguration reception. His bio has recently been added to the NHPS website's BOE members' Bio page.

NHPS Reform

I had promised to provide the link to the hand-out I received back in October at the School Change meeting at Edgewood....
At that meeting, several Reform Objectives were illustrated: an outline of "Why New Haven?" (they state they have "A Strong Foundation to Build On"), and a chart, "Focus and Coherence in the Management of Schools," showing what Asst. Superintendent Garth Harries described as some of the how the main goal of "Raising Student Performance" will be accomplished. It also shows four "planks," each with a "vision," having several "potential components." Here's the just posted Overview of School Reform Initiative (PDF). And here's the NHPS Foundations's official reform website.

Newest NHPS Board member is an Edgewood Parent

Mayor DeStefano has appointed Ferdinand Risco, Jr. to the Board of Ed. and thus fills the final vacancy on the 8 member board. I do not know Mr. Risco, but I look forward to meeting him soon as he is a fellow Edgewood parent. Hopefully his bio will join the other BOE board members on the NHPS website soon. The NHI has this story today.

Mauro-Sheridan Dedication

I briefly attended the Mauro-Sheridan Science Technology and Communications Interdistrict Magnet School dedication ceremony this past Sunday. Alderman Tom Lehtonen (Ward 27) passed along our neighborhood's (Ward 25), "congratulations and welcome back" message. The new building looks great! I've asked if there are any Ward 25 kids attending the newly merged Mauro-Sheridan. I'm sure families from our neighborhood, interested in this interdistrict magnet school and its offerings, will be checking out this new, nearby option.

Neighborhood School Reform Discussions

This week there were a couple neighborhood get-togethers of neighborhood parents to chat about school reform and Edgewood School. Current, future and prospective parents are heading to meetings, and gathering to chat about school reform. Currently, school reform is the Mayor's top priority.

I attended a neighborhood chat last Sunday evening hosted by Tim Holahan. Several current, future, and prospective parents were there to discuss what they've heard about school reform and to chat about Edgewood School. Also, a newly formed parent group, Friends of Edgewood School (FES), was represented by neighbors Erica Holahan & Michael Slattery. This group is meeting with Edgewood's School Planning & Management Team (SPMT) this Monday (11/9) [This meeting was postponed - Meet FES at Enrichment Night @ Edgewood: Jan 27th @ 6:30pm] to finalize a proposed survey, to go out to Edgewood parents and neighbors, looking to hone in on needs for additional academic enrichment at Edgewood School that could be funded by grants and/or donations.

Neighbor and future Edgewood parent, Rebecca Weiner, would like to introduce the new group:

Dear Fellow Parents:

I am writing to introduce Friends of Edgewood School (FES), and invite you to a meeting to discuss FES at 3:30 PM this coming Monday, November 9th, at the Edgewood School Library. [This meeting was postponed - Meet FES at Enrichment Night @ Edgewood: Jan 27th @ 6:30pm]Please feel free to forward this invitation to anyone you think may be interested.

FES is a new all-volunteer group of Edgewood School parents (current and future). Our mission is to support Edgewood in developing in-school academic enrichment for all students at Edgewood School.

We plan to do this via grant-writing, fund-raising, and organizing volunteers to bring resources not currently available to the school, in order to support both current and new academic enrichment initiatives. We do and will work in cooperation with the PTA, SPMT, and other existing groups.

All Best--
--Rebecca

NHPS News (updated 10/19)

The Teachers Union overwhelmingly approved the new contract. Administrators are next for contract negotiations according to the Mayor's office.

Two new appointments made to the Board of Ed. -- read the press release here. You can find bios for the Board of Ed mebers here, including Ward 25 resident, Michael Nast.

Again, here's the recently updated but still a bit "under construction" NHPS website: www.nhps.net

And here's the School Reform Website for "official" updates on this initiative.

School Reform Meeting at Edgewood

It was indeed nice to see 75+ neighbors (those with and w/o school age kids) at tonight's meeting. The Mayor, Dr. Mayo and Asst. Sup. for reform, Garth Harries spoke and answered questions for 2 hours. More than a few questioned what look to be truly ambitious objectives. Harries accepted that observation and stated that these reform objectives are "possible" [to attain] and they are "aggressive." He and the Mayor also backed that up by both saying that they "believe this can be done."

A new (Oct 2009) hand-out listing these Reform Objectives, an outline of "Why New Haven?" (they state they have "A Strong Foundation to Build On"), and a chart, "Focus and Coherence in the Management of Schools," of what Harries described as some of the how the main goal of "Raising Student Performance" will be accomplished. It shows four "planks," each with a "vision," having several "potential components." Here's the link to these documents & here's the official reform website.

While the "achievement gap" appears to be the measurement, school reform as the Mayor, Mayo & Harries propose does seem to tackle much, much more. Harries specifically mentioned that reform goals include "push[ing] high performers" as well as achieving "double jumps" in performance at the lower-end of the performance continuum. "Resources will be allocated" to attain upward improvements from all performance levels they assured. They did admit that money and resources will not be allocated uniformly or equally to each of the 47 schools (as they are now), but allocated so as to achieve these new goals district wide - measured on "upward movement/progress;" not just hitting a targeted average - and "not just in pockets." The Board of Ed will hopefully define "performance" criteria to include state tests, post-secondary readiness, student engagement, etc. by spring 2010. They'd also like NHPS to be measured overall (not solely on "achievement gap") and thus reach their stated ultimate goal, "[to] be recognized as the best urban district in the country."

There seemed to be a lot more listening than questioning. (I too only listened tonight.) About 10 people did most of the questioning. Alderwoman Silverman started off the questioning with the tough one, "How will this be paid for?" The Mayor's blunt answer was that taxes could indeed go up. It does seem to the Mayor that education is central to just about everything and thus can justify its costs. Obviously money is a component. However, I know as important as these reform initiatives are, fiscal responsibility will be vital. Oversight, transparency, measurable return on investment, and accountability will all be very important. Parents, teachers, administrators, city residents, the Board of Alderman should all be collaborators in this huge undertaking of school reform. Additional venues and forums for further discussion seem necessary. More specifics addressing many cost issues will come to light next week as the Teachers Union votes on a new contract.

Please contact me with your thoughts, questions, ideas, etc., so as many of us as possible can play a role in taking advantage of what the Mayor sees as a "window" in economic & political times for "aggressive" public education reform here in New Haven. I will most certainly be engaged, with vested interest (child at Edgewood), in this process as a parent and neighborhood representative.