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LWV OBSERVER REPORT FORM Board or Commission: Date of Meeting: September 16, 2008 Members present: All Nature of
meeting Routine __X_____ Special_____________ Called to order
(time): 7:02 pm Adjourned (time):
9:40 pm Action taken: The main items on the agenda were reports from the administration on CT Master Test (CMT) and CT Academic Performance Test (CAPT) scores and on Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) results under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Karen List and Director of Finance and Planning Chip Ward led the presentations. CMT Overall, Scores were highest in math for grades 4, 5, and 6,
averaging 76.7%; in writing for grade 3, averaging 76%; in reading for grades
7 and 8, averaging 79.5%. Our students
continue to test significantly below their counterparts in District Reference
Group (DRG) B, which includes Avon, The reason for West Hartford’s lower performance is that
our special education, economically disadvantaged, minority, and English
language learning students score lower than DRG B’s, and we have higher
percentages of such students in our population. 37% of Performance continues to fall far short of District Goals for the CMTs. Of 25 measurable targets, only 4 were actually met in 2008 and 8 were nearly met (within 5 points of target). The largest shortfalls were on the goal looking for 80% of students to make 1.5 years of improvement every year until they reach mastery. On average, 55% of the 900 students who scored below mastery in reading and/or math in 2007 achieved this goal in 2008. CAPT News on the CAPT was better, with the average percent at mastery at 64.4%, up from 2007’s 62.8%. Conard’s performance improved by a remarkable 4 points, while Hall’s was up .5. Conard students averaged 62.3% at mastery; Hall averaged 67.5%; DRG B averaged 72.1%. Disaggregated CAPT scores show achievement gaps like those on the CMT, for similar demographic reasons. However, Conard principal Tom Moore and his staff reported remarkable 5-point gains on three of the 4 CAPT subjects overall, with major gains for minority students, due to a new approach across academic disciplines that focuses on both individual students’ strengths and weaknesses and the performance of individual teachers on each content strand tested. Though one year’s results are not definitive, this promising new approach is being presented across the district for possible adoption at other schools. Of the 24 measurable District Goals for the CAPT, 9 were met in 2008, 5 were nearly met. AYP In addition to the district as a whole, several individual
schools did not make AYP this year:
Hall—subgroup reading and math; KP—subgroup reading and math; Charter
Oak—whole school reading and math; Norfeldt—subgroup
reading and math; Web Hill—subgroup reading; The district has detailed plans in place designed to improve student performance. Specifics of the plan, along with the full reports on CMT, CAPT, and AYP may be found at http://www.whps.org/whps/primary-offices/boe-page/documents. The final financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008 was also presented. The district ended the year with a surplus of just over $598,000, which was turned back to the town council. Board chair Terry Schmitt reported that membership for the Charter Oak Improvement Committee is nearly complete. The committee will be co-chaired by Terry and Mayor Scott Slifka. Members will include Jack Darcey and Lib Spinella from the board, Leon Davidoff and a Democrat to be named from the town council, Charter Oak principal Mary Thompson, and 3 community members. Board member Bruce Putterman
announced 3 public forums to receive input on desired qualities in a new
superintendent of schools: September 17 at KP, September 18 at The next board meeting will take place October 7 at 7 pm in room 314 at Town Hall. Observer name: Kathy Wilson |