001of the teaching. >> I'd like to call the regular meeting of the teaching and learning committee. >> You're in trouble. >> To order for Tuesday, November 11th. Roll call, please. >> Amy Romano is absent, Kate Coutach, >> here. >> Lorraine Rosner here. >> Patricia Mun >> here. Also in attendance, Dr. Ken Sinich, Kristen Santilli, Tina Xavier, and Tracy Hussie. >> Stand for the pledge, please. flag of defense and one nation under God for all. >> Okay. I need a motion to approve the agenda as stated. >> I will make that motion and I will second it. Lorraine and then Patty. All in favor? I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. Review and approval of the following reports to the committee. Need a motion to approve the meeting minutes from Tuesday, uh, October 14th. >> I will
002make the motion. >> And I will second it. All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Any public comment? Good for public comment. None. Third time, no public comment. Agenda items 2024 2025 state assessment data and I believe it's Kristen and Tina. All right. So, thank you. Um they last at the last teaching and learning meeting we presented to you the district data uh with the district assessments being the dibbles and the ISL [clears throat] and um the board chair had requested to see our state assessment data. That is what we today. So these [clears throat] are the these are the um smarter balance results from last school year. um at the end of the year we got them. Well, actually in the summertime we got them. And you can see um how
003this shows this first slide shows you how student how many students uh the percentage of students that got a three or a four which three is on and four is above um meeting the benchmark. So you can see uh we put there the middle row shows you what Shelton students did and then the right row shows you what the state of Connecticut has done. So if you look at it, you can see that in many cases we are above the state. um we are we slightly lag um and as as we get into uh that seventh and eighth grade which is historically um uh has been an area that we we look to focus on. Now we don't just look at achievement um how the student scored. We also look at well what were the
004growth targets and did our students make those growth targets based on where they were um were functioning when they took the assessment. So here for language arts you can see grades four through 8 uh shows you the percentage of our students that met their growth target. Um, and then it shows you um the state, I'm sorry, the state and then Shelton. And you can see um in grades four and grade six, we are above we we we went up higher. We did drop in a few grade levels, specifically five, seven, and eight. Um, and I know Dr. Sarinich is going to um speak to that when he talks or if he wants to jump in at any point, but those are our transitional grades. Uh and so that is a area that we are extremely
005focusing on this year to identify and determine strategies um and um what we can do to to address those gaps with the transitions in the district. Here is the math data. Again, you can see uh the percentage of students that achieved a level three or a four on or above. Uh you can see Shelton in the middle and Connecticut to the right. Again, in many instances, we are well over the state. [clears throat] Again, the lag, the trend um goes back to um the seven and eight with intermediate school. uh eighth grade actually with this one. Yes. So you can see um it it it's it's close. It's very close, but it's it's we're we always want to be above the state. If we can be above the state here, you could see how many
006of the students in math actually met their growth target. Again, you have the state and then you have where Shelton. Again, another trend. If you look here, grades four and six uh met it or went above the state. And our transitional grades here you see again are the grades where we um we we struggle and we know that there were those are areas that we need to focus on. This is our high needs population. So you can see, I know this is a lot to look at, but if you just stand up, >> for example, >> I I Well, I a Yes. [cough] >> I So also gap it's not as wide between our high needs and our >> So there was a couple areas that shows that >> right >> non high need our
007high 70 >> also And goes back our our high knee much lower. They are closing out of gaps. this one. And if you look at the high need, then our high population scored higher than our non students. And so, you know, when I go over the science data, I think there's a lot of other factors that are attributing to our students performance because I that to me is an anomaly that you would have your high need students score sign higher and and that higher >> science. Science. Okay. So, so in addition to taking reading and math in um grades three through eight, um students are also assessed in science um starting in grade five and the assessment is every three years. So, it's um it spans three grade levels of content. So they're first um
008assessed in grade five or um above or higher. um [cough] the highest high school ever scored. Why do you We're going to ask a trick question, [laughter] Dr. Sarin. You may not answer. Nor may you. Um why do you think that that is such a big >> where historically 11th graders >> normally this is lower >> would it have anything now mind you this these tests in the 11th grade don't go on their college transcripts colleges is they don't go on thing. So all of a sudden our 11th graders >> So they were offered a children >> offered past it. >> My god. [laughter] >> You're well. We talked about the younger grades, too. like maybe um you know of someone who had a kindergarten district last year and I'll just give you this example
009and she said well the teacher said in kindergarten you know when you're done with your dibbles assessment you can go and play in the stations around the room and this student who was a very high achieving student um clicked clicked clicked I'm done he went from like the 90th percentile to the first percentile on the assess investment because he told his mom I wanted to get to play in the station. So it re it makes us realize that incentives you know are >> we have to be careful that in that example the incentive backfired right on the teacher but I think we have to we have to be a little more creative in our thinking to get students to have some more buy in because we're finding that >> also demonstrate [clears throat] it. >>
010We are assessing it. Yeah. >> Especially [cough] [clears throat] >> right as it's an accountability hold us account. >> Yeah. The students f in this >> they don't see a direct link there. that's how it's going to impact them. They're less likely. So we do see if there is that motivation to do well then they will you know we would want them to have that intrinsic motivation that they want to do well but unfortunately sometimes that external motivation we saw that I mean we were amazed at that amazing yes I mean they went up um last year um they were at 42.5 that boring. >> And it was definitely a shift at the high school for the teachers that were teaching those courses to say, "Okay, I have to it it was a a mind
011shift to [clears throat] >> not let them take the final, right?" But the because the kids performed all all semester long anyway, but it's just a different >> uh way of thinking about giving our assessments. something that we're we're continuing to talk about and um questionable mention. >> There is there is it's on a um on a um iPad that they're that they're um taking it or a tablet that they're taking it. Um but there are as they get into um upper grades there's the maze and things like that where the kids have to um >> edex. >> Yeah. Mhm. And pick the word and and so on and so forth for the comprehension. >> Yeah. >> Okay. And for the um SAT we're as you can see we're scoring the state both. We're also
012looking at other um working with our coordinators and strategies where we can average much lower than like oh yeah [cough] questions comments I know Dr. Sinich was going to talk a little bit about the >> I'll wait till my phone. >> All right. Okay. >> But that's why I thought I already cover. >> Yes. So I was looking up there. >> Yes. [laughter] That would be I I'd have to say point of I mean that you're I know you have been but you haven't been sworn in as an elected official and no it's okay. I I don't want to get the board in trouble that we did something that would Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Next week you can ask all the questions. >> Write them down. >> Write it down and bring it back. >>
013I'll write them down. >> Okay. Superintendent comments then. So, um, as I've said to the board already, I I made it a a point of my goals [clears throat] with the board when I when we set the goals, uh, back in the summertime, knowing the predictions that we had, um, on this and just knowing the dynamics of how how, uh, our school system is designed, um, we have we have looked at and have identified the struggles that exist in our transitional year. Unfortunately, the the model that Shelton has produced, and I know in even at last week's board meetings, we talked about the acclimates of Perry Hill School and the the gorgeous building that it is and and how it um satisfied the the enrollment needs in the elementaryaries. Yes, it it served a purpose
014for its time, but it but it really has not been favorable in in terms of our student development. >> You know, um as as we just find that magic potion that works with a child, they move on to the next level. You know, our system unlike most systems in the state of Connecticut, I believe, has too many transitions. You know, the four to five, you know, you know, 6 to 7, 8 to 9. you know, kids are consistently moving to a different building, having to acclimate to a new location, having to see new faces, and we do the best we can with the transitions and supporting um trying to have um meetings at the different level, collaborate as one another, but you know, we have to look at things with a student um focus. And
015one of the targets that I have done as I set my goals this year is to try to maximize the resources that we have that we [clears throat] can really dive deep and take some targeted information um as what's happening in those transition years because although some of the data doesn't reflect positive growth, there is [clears throat] positive growth when you bring it down to a granular size and start looking at what's happening in individual classrooms and individual teachers and what's doing there. We want to look at that um secret sauce and try to spread that around relative to the work we do as a district level. So, as the title money has increased slightly, but not to a level to bring back, and the last thing that I, you know, and I know I've
016said this before, I'm repeating myself, but for the purposes of this meeting, you know, the last thing we want to do is is increase more certified positions in a school system that may not necessarily be sustainable if the city doesn't pick up that money and the F title money falls. We've we've seen this pattern of interventionists, math specialists, reading consultants, but funding goes away. City doesn't pick that on and we have this, you know, people push back, you know, because they have seniority and we lose the new staff that we brought in. Instead, we've taken the money we've had and we've invested into stipens to try to look at the talented staff we have um providing some extra compensation for those who want to. And we've we basically with the office of teaching learning have
017developed a team that we're calling um transitionalists. And uh we're operating as many of you who are familiar with that you know um uh district data team mindset where we're we're the first of our roles is to really look at the data and get very granular as far as what's happening in these areas. Trying to identify teaching practices that we want to see. having the team get into there, learning from what's happening there, and then using professional development to spread that out. Really trying to um maximize the resources and the talent that we have within the school system to really look at those targeted areas. And that's that's what we'll be doing this year um with those positions and hopefully make a significant difference coming into next year um as we look at those transitional
018years right now. >> Um I'm not surprised by the data. Um I I actually think we have a lot of things to be proud with the data. I know I shared with the board uh our two schools of distinction that were recognized and and the work that they have done within our school system. But even the schools that were not did not receive the acclimates of a school of distinction, there's there's significant growth in significant areas that we need to be proud of. I think one of the achievements that I look at from a district level and although you know you may not see it as as substantial growth um but what I say is sustainability when we look at more and more impacts and less resources in the years that I've been superintendent um
019with this district we have maintained scores and a and a trajectory above the state with much and much less if you look back I mean this is my fifth year as superintendent 5 years ago, what we had in our school system in terms of staff and resources, we're light years away from that 5 years later. Yet, we're still at the same achievement levels we were 5 years ago. Would I like to see that continue to soar upward? Absolutely. But to be able to maintain that and not dip down with less resources is an achievement within itself. And that that's a really attribute to, you know, the teaching staff here and the work that they put in, you know, um and we have to continue to maximize that. We know that budgets continue to get tight.
020Um obviously my goal is to try to get that that plateau to start getting that little uptick. We want that little uptick. Um but what we can do and that's that's the plan for this year to see if we get that little uptick. Um, I mean, there's no foreseeable flow of money coming in in the future and and additional resources to come here. Um, I'm just proud in our district to maintain the levels that we've had over the course of the 5 years um with less and less resources that we've had. So, >> and I I think to to to to Ken's point, one of the things that we looked at very closely last year is we being in, you know, so many years into new curriculum, we uh continued to do our guided observations.
021Um, and we really focused on 5 through 8 last year because of the whole transition aspect. And what we found was eye opening when the people from the um great minds company came in and we looked at W and wisdom and great minds and the implementation and how it's going. And one of the things we found was that um the at this point teachers are comfortable with the curriculum and they're modifying it um for students rather than necessarily letting them have that productive struggle and then provide the scaffold. So that was really eyeopening for all of us and made us say okay now we have to revisit how we're implementing the curriculum. So that's a piece of this I definitely believe as well um in in having conversations with sta with staff and this year
022we're actually going down to grades three and four to do the same thing to look at um how the curriculum's being implemented and you know I think when we when we think about the co learner versus the learner now a lot of those scaffolds were really necessary but now at this point it's time to pull them away just as we did we're trying to do with the technology for the students Are you >> 100%. But if a student goes through their productive struggle and still is failing, then you pull out something in your tool bag for that student. you know, I think that um you know, I think that co was a big aspect of that and it's getting it's that that's definitely why they modified and adjusted for the kids and I think that
023you know our curriculum is not easy. Um but we have to pro allow the students to to rise to that rise to that level because if we don't provide those kids that opportunity, how will we know? you know, I mean, you can't pick out a special education student in the classroom. It's amaz it's really it's it's amazing to see that the kids they they will rise to the occasion. So, it's definitely some an area of focus at our our district and it was great dialogue with the admins um and Ken's instructional rounds last year. So, we're continuing with that. We want to give the opportunity to have that productive struggle so that when they come to an external assessment, high stakes [clears throat] assessment and they don't know the answer, they should be able to
024work through out whereas teachers like an unintentional consequence was over scaffolding it making it to really had that opportunity kind of struggled >> nothing suddenly. Yes. >> Runs. and I've got one. >> This builds resilience, you know, it's like I didn't get it, I got to keep going. >> But I I the other point I want to make is um I know that when I came to the district um in back in 2010, sounds like so long ago. Uh but at that time we had reading consultants in the building and then we had I mean Carol and and um Lorraine you may remember this but multiple academic tutors at buildings like some buildings had maybe six in addition to like you know they h Yes. And so we would hire them and place them and
025you know we don't have one academic tuner and we don't have one instructional interventionist. We just have one reading consultant and one math specialist at the elementary level and we have one now that's going to be split between the high school and the intermediate school. Um so you know we you know that you know tier 2 instruction that was being brought out you know with those individuals now is falling it is on back on the classroom teacher which they've always had a hand in but um it's really the reading consultant and math specialists that are really um that's it. They're at the front line. So if we have to ever cut more that's who's getting caught at this point. We don't have any other fluff within our within our budget, which I know you all
026know, but [clears throat] >> you felt better saying maybe >> put it on the record. >> Maybe with different voices on board. >> Yeah. >> Anything else? Any other questions? >> I have no comments. Ajourn >> I will motion to adjurnn. [cough] >> I'll second it. All in favor?