Overall District Achieves

 ‘Adequate’ NCLB Score

By Laurie Borst

Newtown’s new Assistant Superintendent Linda Gejda presented the annual results of the latest CMT and CAPT tests during a September 4 Board of Education meeting. She also took time to explain why the Reed Intermediate School was labeled “in need of improvement,” after falling six percentage points below a No Child Left Behind (NCLB) benchmark.

During a PowerPoint presentation to the board, Dr Gejda said according to NCLB criteria, the district achieved “Adequate Yearly Progress” in both math and reading scores. The NCLB standard either qualifies a district as making adequate yearly progress or failing to make adequate yearly progress.

The Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) is given to all students in grades three through eight, testing skills in mathematics, reading, and writing. The Connecticut Academic Performance Test  (CAPT), is administered to tenth graders and measures skills in mathematics, science, writing across the disciplines, and reading across the disciplines.

Dr Gejda explained that the CMT data helps the district assess student progress over time. Each grade can be followed from year-to-year to observe any changes. Overall, the district’s results show that Newtown students are maintaining skills learned.

In assessing the scores, administrators and teachers look at a “cohort” or students who are grouped together from year-to-year. Scores of students who were in third grade in 2006 can be compared with the scores of fourth graders in 2007 to obtain an indication of improvements in that cohort.

Across almost all grade levels and subjects, Newtown’s latest scores generally showed improvement from the previous year. Eighty-seven percent of last year’s fourth graders scored at or above goal in math.

Seventy-eight percent met that goal in reading, and 85.2 in writing, representing an overall increase of 6.9 percent, 1.8 percent, and 9.1 percent, respectively, over the previous year.

Third grade students who took the CMT last spring posted the following scores at or above goal: 81.9 in mathematics; 78.8 in reading, and 81.6 percent in writing.

Four graders scored as follows: 87 in mathematics, 78 in reading, and 85.2 in writing.

Fifth grade: 84.8 in mathematics, 80 in reading, and 79.9 in writing.

Sixth grade: 86.5 in mathematics, 84.3 in reading, and 77.3 in writing.

Seventh grade: 83.9 in mathematics, 83.9 in reading, and 78.3 in writing.

Eighth grade: 85.4 in mathematics, 81.7 in reading, and 85.1 in writing.

CAPT scores for the 2007 cohort found 68.7 percent performing at or above goal in mathematics, 63.5 in science, 57.2 in reading, and 60.6 in writing.

Reed CMT Issue Clarified

Dr Gejda indicated the subset of special education students at Reed School who were tested within the NCLB directives had a direct impact on the school’s overall CMT standings. The NCLB legislation sets achievement goals for all students, including subsets within school populations. These subsets include minorities, English language learners, economically disadvantaged students, and those in special education programs.

If a school has more than 40 students in a given subset, those students’ scores are included when the school is evaluated for making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Because of this stipulation, Reed Intermediate School was identified as a school in need of improvement by NCLB standards.

Newtown’s four elementary schools have relatively small populations of special education students, and none of those schools were rated in need of improvement.

Those four schools all funnel students into Reed for fifth and sixth grade, including 95 special education students in last year’s population. This group did not meet the requirements of 74 percent at or above goal in math and 68 percent in reading.

This is the second year that Reed did not make AYP.

Dr Gejda said after receiving the 2006 CMT scores, her predecessor, Alice Jackson, set four goals for the district: to improve academic achievement for all students; to accelerate the learning of special education students; to improve climate and communication; and to improve student performance through the use of technology.

The programming to achieve these goals has been implemented and will continue to be addressed throughout the district to help bring all students to goal, Dr Gejda said. She added that in March 2008, the CMTs will add a science component on the fifth and eighth grade tests.

This brings the CMTs more in line with the CAPT in tenth grade.

Interim Superintendent’s Report

In his report, Interim Superintendent Tom Jokubaitis told the board Fletcher Thompson appointed Dan Davies as the new architect to the high school expansion project.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with Dan in a couple of different places and he really is top-notch,” said Mr Jokubaitis. “I think you’ll be well served by Dan Davies.”

Business Director Ron Bienkowski attended a Building and Site Commission meeting last Tuesday where Fletcher Thompson made a presentation on the project, and said the firm agreed to hold regular meetings with the commission from now on to update them on progress.

Mr Jokubaitis reported on Quinlan Mitchell, a junior at Newtown High School, who was awarded the Ensign-Darling Vocal Fellowship of the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. This scholarship program is offered to a select few high school-aged singers interested in classical and theatrical music and includes voice lessons, tutoring, workshops, master classes, and select performances at the Bushnell.

He told the board Lea Attanasio, a fourth grade teacher at Hawley School, received a 2006 Teaching Grant from the Connecticut Reading Association for “Birthday Celebrations” teaching unit. Ms Attanasio combined expository and narrative writing, computer skills, research skills, cultural diversity, and community collaboration.

Smooth Opening Days

Reporting on the opening of schools for the new year, Mr Jokubaitis said, “We had a normal start, just a few delays attributable to the start of the year. Things seem to be working out well. We need another week or so for the difficulties that have been identified are resolved. The school transportation system has operated well.”

Mr Jokubaitis also reported that Baro, the Newtown Police Department’s German shepherd, conducted a drug sweep at the high school confirming that the building was clear of any drugs. In other school year business, Mr Jokubaitis said Director of  Building and Grounds Gino Faiella worked with Public Works crews to reconfigure the southern end of the high school’s parking area, creating 30 additional parking spaces. There are now 360 student parking spaces available.

Later in the meeting, the school board voted unanimously to approve a recycling policy for the district. Board Chair Elaine McClure asked for a report from Chartwells, the district’s food service vendor, about how the cafeterias will participate in recycling.

Mr Jokubaitis said he anticipated holding a meeting with Chartwells on the recycling policy’s implementation by mid-October.