Summer School Goes Online

A version of this story appears in TheDailyNorwalk.com

Kahdijah Scott actually likes summer school better than regular school. "It's quieter and there are less distractions," says Scott, a Norwalk High School junior who spends part of her day retaking English online.

Scott is one of eight students taking part in online summer school, a pilot project initiated by the state Department of Education and the Norwalk Public Schools for the first time this year. The department is working with Florida Virtual School on a credit recovery program. The district is focusing solely on English this year, but may expand to all core subjects in the future.

Scott studies basic composition, editing, vocabulary and grammar on a computer in the high school computer lab with the assistance of an online teacher. Before the class started, Scott had to take a test to evaluate her level. "I think I'm doing more at summer school than I do regularly," says Scott, who is in summer school for the first time.

"Students work at their individual pace, partner with one another or peers from all over the globe to peer edit and discuss work," says Robert Polselli, Director of Technology for the Norwalk Public Schools, who initiated the project this year. "They also call their virtual teacher to discuss topics and to read aloud."

Polselli , who did his doctorate in online learning, says e-learning is a good option for summer school students.  In general, he thinks that online learning provides a "viable means to improve the learning opportunities to a more diverse population of learners." The program will be evaluated at the end of the summer.

"It's an interesting approach," says Rick Fuller a senior English teacher at Norwalk High, who oversees the program.  Fuller says he acts more like a facilitator while the students take their class online. "My role is different. The kids have more independence with it." He also says that the courses are surprisingly challenging and there is considerable attention to detail.

Fuller says the online class may not work for everyone. "We chose kids that are motivated. It may not work for kids that are not as independent."

What do you think about online summer school classes, online classes in general?  Do they provide an alternative for kids that need remediation, or kids that need an extra challenge? 

Bruce Kimmel Analyzes Test Scores

Norwalk school officials are in the midst of a detailed analysis of this past year’s CMT and CAPT tests. So far, based on preliminary discussions, it seems the district has been treading water; improvement in some areas, regression in others. It does appear, however, that there has been some improvement in closing the achievement.

Now that we have a new Superintendent, I believe it would be worthwhile to look at these test results differently than in the past. In recent years, most discussions of CMT scores have focused on the percentages of students in different categories and then comparing these percentages to past years. For instance, if the percentage of fourth graders at the proficiency or goal levels increased, the district would conclude that there has been improvement.

But this type of conclusion is superficial and can mask trends and accomplishments among students. While it is a necessary first step, it barely scratches the surface of what’s going on in our schools. In fact, relying on this type of comparative analysis – which is, in part, a consequence of federal law -- can create a variety of problems. New York State provides an excellent example of what can happen if test scores are viewed exclusively through the framework imposed on the nation by the federal No Child Left Behind legislation.

According to federal law, districts are judged by the percentages of students moving from one category to another, such as basic to proficiency, or proficiency to goal, and very little else. The key for states, districts and individual schools, if they are to remain in good standing with the federal government, is to have a certain percentage of students above proficiency. How much students actually improve over the course of a year – generally called a Growth Model – has not yet replaced the federal framework, even though New York City has been piloting such a model for a few years, and with excellent results.

But back to New York State: Several years ago, state education officials noticed there were extremely large clusters of students just below the proficiency level on the reading and math exams. So they adjusted the cut downward; that is, they made it easier to reach the proficiency level. Scores, of course, improved drastically across the state and many schools were able to avoid federal sanctions, even though students were not learning more.

But the problem didn’t stop there. New York, like Connecticut and other states, does not change the types of questions on its standardized tests from year to year. This is done to facilitate valid comparisons over time. However, as districts, schools and individual teachers inevitably become familiar with certain types of questions, they are better able to prepare their students and scores go up. The tests administered last year in New York and Connecticut have not changed much in the last five years.

As information leaked out regarding New York’s testing procedures, outside experts began to examine what was going on. One examination concluded that because of the decision to lower the cuts (which, by the way, also happened in other states), New York’s proficiency level was actually lower than the basic level on the federal government’s main test, called the National Assessment of Educational Progress. And recently, a study by Harvard commissioned by New York found that the recent improvements were “illusory.” As a result, New York officials have announced they will recalibrate how they score their tests.

(Two or three years ago, thousands of New York students answered the same number or a few less questions correctly compared to the previous year’s test, but still managed to move from basic to proficient. To put all this in perspective: Twenty years ago, New York elementary students who scored below the 20th percentile nationally in math were usually held over. In 2009, according to Harvard researchers, students who scored roughly in that same percentile were counted as proficient.)

Back to Norwalk: I do not believe state officials adjusted the cuts to artificially raise scores. But nonetheless, relying on the percentages of students in different  categories sheds little light on student achievement. What the district needs to do is perform detailed analyses of the raw scores, or what are sometimes referred to as scale scores, of our students.

By focusing on this type of data, which I assume is available, the BOE can examine the progress of individual students, cohorts or subgroups as they move through the system. It also provides information about the effectiveness of schools and teachers. Put in more traditional terms, the current system of scoring does not fairly distinguish between the student who goes from 69 to 70 and the student who goes from 40 to 69. The former is applauded for reaching proficiency; the latter is (statistically speaking) deemed a failure.

The BOE spends months on the operating and capital budgets. In contrast, the academic achievement of our students, as measured by standardized tests, is discussed one or two times during a school year. It would probably prove productive, not only for Board members but also for the general public, to examine these test scores with the same degree of diligence that is reserved for the budget.

Support Personnel Lack Contract

A version of this story appears in TheDailyNorwalk.com

Norwalk Public School support personnel have been without a new contract since July 2009 and they think it’s not fair.  Donna Riddel, President of the Norwalk Federation of Educational Personnel, spoke during the public comment section of the Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday evening.  “The way we have been treated for the last year is deplorable, demeaning, unfair and quite frankly unacceptable.”

The NFEP represents 425 aides, clerks, secretarial and support staff and are the second largest bargaining unit in the city, after the teachers’ union.  The NFEP is asking for a salary increase and improved benefits that they say they “rightly deserve.” The union and BOE’s negotiations committee could not come to an agreement about the contract terms and negotiations are now in arbitration--to be decided upon by an independent body by the end of the summer.  The union members work under their old contract until the new terms are decided.

In her public statement, Riddell said, “this arbitration cost could have gone towards the funding of the economic package instead of lining the Board’s lawyers pockets.”

Riddel who has been secretary to the principal at Tracey Elementary school for the 20 years, also takes issue with the recent contracts awarded to two top administrators that awarded a 3 percent raise in the form of furlough days.  “The Board of Education voluntarily provided rich contracts to the Assistant Superintendent and Human Resources Director,” said Riddel, also remarking that the support personnel are “the lowest paid employees."

“I am sensitive to the economic times, but how could the administrators get such contracts?” said Riddell after the meeting.  “We are supposed to be in it together.”

BOE Negotiations Committee chair Jack Chiaramonte could not be reached for comment and Jodi Bishop-Pullan, a member of the committee said that she could not comment on negotiations since they are confidential.

High School Scores Stagnate

A version of this story appears in TheDailyNorwalk.com

There was not much good news in the 2010 Connecticut Academic Performance Test results.  According to analyses provided by Diane Filardo, Testing and Evaluation Specialist and Superintendent Susan Mark, the needle has not moved much on test results either over time or from last year to this year.  In this way, Norwalk mirrors the stagnant CAPT results across the state.

The State Department of Education released the results of the CAPT last Friday. All Connecticut grade 10 students are required to take this standardized test that measures math, science, reading and writing. The scores are measured as advanced, goal, proficient, basic and below basic.

There was backwards slide in Math.  Only 31 percent of student met “goal” compared with 37 percent last year and 32 percent in 2007.  There were modest gains in science and reading “proficiency”, but not at “goal”.  The one spot of encouraging news was in writing--51 percent of students of reached "goal" as compared to 40 percent last year.

Filardo says that some progress has been made in narrowing the achievement gap for African American and Hispanic students. In addition, Norwalk has a higher percentage of its minority students achieving proficiency and goal than their peers across the state.  Still, the gap remains significant in Norwalk and statewide.  For example, in reading, 58 percent of White students achieve "goal", whereas 19 percent of Norwalk's African-American students and 24 percent of Hispanic student achieve the same measure.

For Marks, the lackluster scores stress the importance of rigor and high expectations for all  students.  “We need to make sure all kids are being expected to achieve at a high level.”  says Marks.  "In my expericence, the gap has narrowed in places where this inclusion happens." Marks says this means a challenging curriculum and getting more students ready for Honors and Advanced Placement classes. “There should be no gatekeepers.  My goal is increase all students in those classes.”

The State, too, is planning to address the stagnant scores and increase the rigor of the high school curriculum over the next several years.  This past May, a legislation was passed that would increase the graduation requirements for high school.  In addition, Connecticut recently adopted national standards that would increase the amount of material to be taught in all grades K-12, but with a special emphasis on high school. 

Percent of students at/above “Goal”

                                Norwalk         State
Grade 10
Math 2007                      32            45
Math 2010                      31            49

Science 2007                 35            45
Science 2010                 34            46

Reading 2007                 36            46
Reading 2010                 37            46  

Writing 2007                    41            53
Writing 2010                    51            60

Mastery Tests Show Gains Over Time

A version of this story appears in TheDailyNorwalk.com

Diane Filardo, Norwalk's Testing and Evaluation Specialist, has spent the last few days analyzing the 2010 Connecticut Mastery Test results and says that Norwalk elementary and middle schools scores are continuing to trend upwards and that the gap with state averages-- while still present—is closing.

The State Department of Education released the results of the CMTs last Thursday. All Connecticut public school students are required to take these standardized tests that measure math, reading and writing in grades 3-8. Science is tested in grade 5 and 8. These tests are used to determine if a school makes "adequate yearly progress" under the federal No Child Left Behind law. Under NCLB, Norwalk is a district "in need of improvement." The scores are measured as advanced, goal, proficient, basic and below basic.

In elementary math, the strides are particularly noteworthy. While the scores are by and large part similar to last year's results, they show considerable improvement from 2006. For example, only 47 percent of third graders met "goal" in math in 2006. This year it was 64 percent—a 17 percent gain. Grade 5 math showed a notable increase, posting a 10-point gain in goal from 2009—58 percent to 68 percent.

Elementary and writing reading scores are also increasing over time but not at the same pace as math. Fifth grade reading was particularly "disappointing" according to Filardo. The scores went from 58 percent at "goal" last year to 55 percent this year. "I am not happy with the literacy scores," said Dr. Susan Marks, Norwalk's new superintendent, who considers these scores a "baseline" for her work in the district.

Middle schools posted some significant increases from last year. Grade 7 "goal" scores went up in all areas, most notably from 51 to 63 percent in math. In reading, grade 6 scores went up 8 points in reading but down in math. Filardo said grade 8 scores did not look as good--there was a backwards slide in math and writing from last year.

Filardo also said that a higher percentage of Norwalk's Hispanic students reached "proficiency" (a measure beneath goal) compared to their peers statewide across the grades in all content areas.

Percent of Students at  Goal

                     2010 Norwalk     2010 State     2006 Norwalk     2006 State
Grade 3
Math                   64                     63                      47                     56
Reading              51                     57                      46                     54
Writing               56                     58                      53                     61

Grade 4
Math                   62                     67                       44                      59
Reading              54                     60                       46                      58
Writing                59                     64                      52                      63

Grade 5
Math                  68                     73                       51                       61
Reading             55                      62                      53                       61
Writing              65                      68                     60                        65

Grade 6
Math                  53                     71                      47                        59
Reading             66                     75                      57                        64
Writing              51                     66                      56                        62

Grade 7
Math                  63                     69                      40                         57
Reading             71                     78                      57                         67
Writing              49                     61                      46                         60

Grade 8
Math                  54                     68                       42                       62
Reading             61                     73                       57                       67
Writing              45                      63                      54                       45

Marks Opens Her Door

A version of this story appears in The Daily Norwalk

Dr. Susan Marks, Norwalk’s new superintendent, is starting her third week on the job and has already visited 10 of the city’s 19 schools.  “I’m information gathering but people also want to meet me,” says Marks whose first official meeting with the Board of Education is on Tuesday evening. 

Marks believes in openness and visibility.  So much so, that she has rearranged the furniture in her large office so that her desk faces the always-open door allowing her to see and be seen by passersby.  “Hello there, I’ll be right with you,” she says to appointments as they enter her assistant’s waiting area.

“I’ve been meeting with principals, walking through buildings and talking about programs,” says Marks, who has so far visited Norwalk High School, Brien McMahon High School, Nathan Hale Middle School, West Rocks Middle School and, Tracey, Kendall, Silvermine, Fox Run, Jefferson and Rowyaton Elementary schools..  “I’m hearing a lot about the need for support, consistency of messages, and professional development,” she said. 

In addition to schools, Marks has met with leaders from Norwalk Community College, Stepping Stones, Norwalk Education Foundation and Norwalk Children’s Foundation. “I’m reaching out and building relationships,” she says.  “We need to find money for the school system,” she says.  “We need to look for public and private funds.”  In fact, Marks has already begun writing an application for a Smaller Learning Communities grant, a federal grant for large public high schools to create smaller tailored programs within the larger school to improve student achievement. 

Marks who previously worked as Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources in Montgomery County, Maryland, a much larger district than Norwalk, says she has noticed differences between the two systems.  “There is not as much alignment and central office consistency here.  I keep hearing that every school does its own thing.”

She says while there are naturally “less people to do everything”, she wonders why curriculum writers only work 11 months.  She also questions why there is no summer school for elementary school children.  “I understand it may be because of budgets, but education is really a 12 month thing.”  Marks also says she is accustomed to more “formality” meaning more communication in the form of memos. “As superintendent, I would expect that.”

“I have been hearing ‘this is the way we’ve always done it,’” says Marks.  “ I am most interested in results so maybe we have to look at things differently.  I respect the way things have been done.  We have to take off from there.”

2010 CMT Data Released

CMT Scores were released today by the State Department of Education.  Here is link to the official CTM Database.  Have a look.  More to come. 

CT Schools Adopt National Standards

A version of this story appears in The Daily Norwalk.

Students in Norwalk, Connecticut will soon be learning the same material as kids in Norwalk, Ohio.  Until now, each state decided independently what to teach their students.  On Wednesday, that changed--the State Board of Education unanimously adopted national standards in K-12 language arts and mathematics.  In doing so, Connecticut joins 47 other states in signing onto the standards know as Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers initiated the CCSS.  They were created “to raise achievement levels and provide uniformity in school curricula,” said a statement by Education Commissioner Mark McQuillan.  In addition, they are designed “to be aligned with college and work expectations” and make American students more competitive globally.  Participation is voluntary. Only Alaska and Texas did not participate in creating the standards.

In Connecticut, adoption of the new standards would increase the requirements of the state’s current curriculum.  A review of standards by the state finds that 80 percent of the CCSS in English language arts are the same at the current state standards and 92 percent of the CCSS in mathematics are the same.  The new standards mostly affect the high school level.

“This is not a massive revision for us,” says Tony Daddona, Norwalk’s Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction noting that we meet many of the standards now.  “It will be good to have the same standards across the board and push the rigor.”

McQuillan acknowledges that Connecticut has a long history of local control of schools by boards of education.  However, he assures the public that the purpose of the new standards is to “provide direction to local curriculum committees” not to set the curricula.

The adoption of CCSS comes after the passing several major education reform laws. At the end of May, Gov. Rell passed a series of reforms into law, including increasing high school graduation requirements and tying teacher evaluations to student progress The legislation and the common standards were passed, in part, to put the state in good standing to compete for federal grants in the Obama administration's Race to the Top school reform initiative.

What do you think of the idea of national standards?  Do you think that this means that we are giving up local control of our schools and what our kids are learning?  

CT Schools Mishandle Child Abuse and Neglect

A version of this story appears in The Daily Norwalk.

Connecticut schools are not doing a good enough job protecting children from abuse and neglect according to a new report issued by Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Jean Milstein, the state’s Child Advocate. The 66-page report, which was released last Thursday, examines the handling of child abuse cases in public schools across the state. It finds that the State Department of Education, Department of Children and Family Services and school districts themselves have all failed to adequately safeguard children. In particular, the report finds fault with hiring practices including the screening of employees and the rules regarding when school personnel must report instances of abuse.

“We have found a maze of miscommunication and misinformation, where mandated reporters fail to properly communicate abuse allegations, local and state authorities fail to share abuse information or adequately screen new hires, and public officials fail to set clear, explicit polices and training,” said Blumenthal in a press release. 

As its basis, the report cites hundreds of examples from an in-depth examination of five districts including Westport, East Hartford, Southington, New Haven and Bridgeport.

The report has particular significance for Norwalk. In May, two NPS employees were arrested  for inappropriate conduct with children. Since then, parents and school officials have questioned whether the school district has adequate policies to address abuse by teachers and whether they were appropriately followed.  In response to parent concerns, the policy committee of the Board of Education began a review of its child abuse policies at the end of the school year.

“There is an obvious need to look across the whole chain for coordination,” says BOE Policy Committee Chair Steven Colarossi  who has been pushing for a review of the district’s child abuse policy. “The report really highlights what I’ve been yelling about. Just because someone is not a mandated reporter, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t report abuse if they see it going on.”

In Westport, the report chronicles the child abuse by Paul Held, an art teacher in the Westport Schools for 30 years. Held was convicted in 2007 for the possession of three to four million photos depicting child pornography. The report cites example after example of reports of inappropriate conduct by Held that slipped through the administrative cracks, including inappropriate touching and taking pictures of girls.

The report puts forth several recommendations including the expansion of a DCF child abuse and neglect registry. It also focuses on regular review and training of the mandated reporting policies including who exactly can report instances of child abuse and the timeframe in which they should be reported.  

Graduation Rate Remains Murky

A version of this story appears in The Daily Norwalk.

What’s the real high school graduation rate in Norwalk? Nobody knows. Connecticut’s State Department of Education says in 2007, it was 96.8 percent, but a recent study by Education Week, a leading national education magazine, puts it at 68.7 percent -- a 28.1 percent difference. The wide gap was highlighted last month by the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN), an education advocacy group. It’s the fourth year in a row that ConnCAN has published such findings.

"This comparison was conducted in previous years to draw attention to the discrepancies between the state’s methodology, which significantly underreported the number of students who did not complete high school, and Education Week’s, which provides a more accurate accounting," said ConnCAN in a statement.

“Graduation rates are a really complex area,” says Thomas Murphy, Dept. of Education spokesman who questions the accuracy of Ed Weeks findings. That's not to say the state's information was perfect. According to Murphy, the state's graduation rates have historically been estimated from a combination of annual dropout data and district-reported aggregate graduate data. The information was tracked manually and had errors.

Recognizing there was a problem, Connecticut signed onto a National Governors’ Association agreement four years ago to develop a new national system that would more accurately track graduation rates. The new system assigns every student a unique ID number according to their state and district. “The new system eliminates the vagaries of paperwork,” says Murphy. The Class of 2009 was the first class tracked using the new statewide system.

Preliminary data released in March indicated that the 2009 graduation rate, Connecticut-wide, is 79 percent. Next year, the information will be available by school district.

Murphy acknowledges the state's problem with high school dropouts. Only 58 percent of Hispanics and 66 percent of African-Americans graduated from high school in 2009. “We have some work to do, especially when considering different racial breakouts.” Commission of Education's Marc McQuillan said in a statement, “The new data shows that the graduation rates in the state are worse than reported in previous years. For Black and Hispanic students, the rates are alarming; we must act now to do more.”

Seeds Sewn for School Gardens

A version of this story appears in The Daily Norwalk.

Imagine your child planting a pumpkin seed in their school garden in the spring and harvesting a pumpkin in the fall for their Halloween party. That’s the vision of the Norwalk Children’s Foundation and the Norwalk Public Schools.  Just before school ended, the two groups began partnering on an initiative to bring organic sustainable gardens to every public school in Norwalk.

Anthony Allison,  Norwalk Children’s Foundation's Program Officer, says he wants every NPS child to have access to a garden from kindergarten through high school. “Gardens are a tremendous tool for learning,” Allison says. He adds they can be incorporated into student curriculum to teach about health, nutrition, science, environmentalism, and even literacy. Remember the children’s book “Stone Soup”?

“We are also answering Michele Obama’s call to action,” says Allison, referring to the First Lady’s initiative from earlier this year, launched to reduce childhood obesity by focusing on health and nutrition.

Allison says NCF will give out $10,000 in mini grants to the schools, which will decide what type of garden they want. Some will focus on vegetables, others flowers and plants. As of now, Brien McMahon High School, Norwalk High School, Ponus Ridge Middle School, Wolfpit, Fox Run, Columbus and Jefferson Elementary are on board.

Fox Run Elementary and Jefferson Science Magnet Elementary already have gardens but the additional support means they can be expanded. “Everybody gets involved in the garden,” says James Martinez, Fox Run principal. “You see teachers working here on their own time, kids raking.  We are also working with the West Norwalk Community Association.”

In addition to the learning aspect, gardens are a way to build community, says Allison.  “I imagine families picnicking around the garden.  Neighbors helping out. Business donating." Community and family support especially is needed over the summer when gardens need a lot of tending.

Carol Marinaccio, NPS Director of Elementary Education who is spearheading this project, says the schools are in the process of devising their plans.  “We hope to actually start something before September,” says Marinaccio. The entire project will take a couple of years to complete at all the schools. “We are excited about this project and can’t wait until it comes to fruition."

One Year Anniversary

When I started NorwalkNet a year ago, I wasn't sure what to expect.  I was a relative newbie to the inside machinations of the Norwalk Public Schools. Although I grew up attending public schools in Norwalk,  my kids are still young and I had little experience with anything other than the classroom.   I had written about education for other publications so I thought I would contribute to our public schools doing what I do best--journalism.  One year and 211 posts later, I'm still at it.  And I have to say, that blogging about NPS has been an incredibly rewarding and fascinating experience, more than I had imagined.   And what a year to be covering NPS--an election, a new sup, a storm, a 0% increase budget.  All of the national educations issues (think: Race to the Top) play out here in a micro setting.  I have learned so much about education, how decisions are made and not made and school/city governance.

In one year, without any advertising, NorwalkNet receives thousands of visitors a month.  I have thought about ways to make NorwalkNet better, more visual and to market it better, but my time is limited and I want to stay focus on my core mission which is the news. (Remember, you can always donate by clicking the button on the right!)

I truly believe that everyone of you that participates in this forum wants Norwalk Public Schools to be the absolute best it can be.    I also believe that an informed public is a strong one and that honest discourse is a vital part of continually improving our schools.  I'm excited about the coming year.

And for a walk down memory lane, here is my first post:

Welcome to NorwalkNet. This is a blog primarily about public schools in Norwalk (at least for now). My aim is to provide an independent source of news about the Board of Education, school leadership, curriculum, events, and student accomplishments. NorwalkNet will also include links to useful information from other news sources. I hope this site will provide a forum for Norwalkers to discuss the issues affecting our children’s education.

Like many of you I am a concerned parent who believes in public education. However in order to have excellent schools we need to be engaged not only in our particular child’s classroom, but ask larger questions about the system itself and hold our leaders accountable.

There’s a lot to keep track of. Last month alone we’ve seen the Board of Education agonize over the 2009-2010 school budget.Countless hours were spent trying to decide whether or to stop funding Norwalk High's pool (they are), whether to cut back on teaching assistants at Columbus Magnet School (they aren't), and whether to eliminate some central office positions (they are). Just as the budget was finalized Salvatore Corda, Norwalk's superintendant, suddenly announced he was quitting. 

Later this year in November we’ll have school board elections. It’s important to know who is running for these seats and why. After all not only do these officials control a $151 million budget (our property taxes) the decisions that they make affect our children. These are trying, but potentially exciting times for education in Norwalk.

I’m planning on writing 3-5 posts a week and looking to do longer pieces every couple of weeks. I plan on covering the BOE and other committee meetings. I plan to pay special attention to the search for a new superintendent. Please let me know what stories I should be covering or if you would like to guest blog feel free to contact me.