May 14, 2026 Board of Education Special Meeting - Retreat

001rise for the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. So, welcome everybody. Welcome anybody at home. Uh, it's great to see um our administ our entire administrative team here. Uh, welcome. They um uh I can't imagine why you didn't have anything better to do than come here, but I appreciate you coming. Um, so May um this is uh it's labeled a board special retreat. A board special meeting in which to retreat. So, to remind the public, retreats are a little different than a business meeting. Um, this is a chance for us as a board to kind of have a little bit more of an in-depth conversation about um um the operation of of the district. Um we've got

002a number of things on the agenda, most importantly uh academic updates. Um and that's where we're going to that's where we're going to start. So, with that said, I think I turn it over to you, Dr. Jones. I think we're going to jump right in. And this is like one of our favorite nights where we get to hear from our entire team. So, Mr. Demo, take it away. >> Thank you. Yeah, it is really one of our uh favorite nights. Uh let's talk a little bit about format first. So, I'll have a few opening remarks, then I'm going to turn it over to our assistant chief, Miss Fogle, who's going to talk to you a little bit about our strategic plan and just a reminder of our goals. And then really the crux of tonight

003is for you to have an opportunity to engage with our building principles who are seated behind me and beside me. And it's a real privilege to sit here with them and to support them and to cheerlead for them. Uh because it's really their efforts and the efforts of their staff that have yielded the success that we're currently experiencing. And so with that, let's talk about what tonight is. So there's an old expression that says if you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there. Well, fortunately for Greenwich, we have a strategic road map that's very clear, very specific, and it's turned out to be very successful. And the people that are seated behind me are going to talk a little bit about how that plays out in the school setting because it's

004easy for us in central office to set benchmarks and percentages, but the real work is done in the schools. And so I think it's incredibly important for you to lean into the conversation with our principles. Now, I challenged them to come up without notes tonight because I really wanted it to be heartfelt and because I know I believe in them that they live this work day in and day out. So they know their slides. They don't need to be uh sharing rehearsed notes with you. I want them to speak with the passion that they speak to me with. And so I hope that's conveyed tonight. And what we'll do is we'll have each principal come up. They'll go through their slide and then it's an opportunity for you to ask them questions about the work.

005So if that works for all of you, then I'm going to turn it over to Miss Fogle and let her just go through really briefly our strategic plan goals. Miss Fogle. Thank you. So as you know, our strategic plan is broken into seven goals across two domains. And tonight you're going to hear from the schools who are showcasing the work they're doing in each of those seven domains. You're here you will hear from Glennville Parkway and Central Middle School. And they'll mention what they're doing to support reading and literacy and writing in their schools. You'll hear from North Ais and Western Middle School who will speak to how math is a main focus for their staff and students. You'll hear from North Street and Eastern Middle School regarding strong science scores and the inquiry within

006their buildings. and GHS will share their successes and how they are working to improve the graduation rate at the high school. As we move into the second subset, Old Greenidge will share what they are doing to engage families in the community. Riverside will share what they are doing to encourage and engage their students through curriculum enrichment. And the International School at Dundee will share what they're doing to prove value and engagement with staff support. Now tonight you're going to hear a bit from each building and what is showcased by one building tonight is also a strategy that our administrators have showcased and shared with their peers. So that is many in many ways happening across buildings. It's important to remind the board and our viewers at home that tonight the spirit of our presentation is

007one of celebration and not one of comparison. Before we move on to the individual principal points of pride, I want to explain and remind the board and those watching tonight that in Greenwich, our success starts small. We believe in building strong foundations in literacy as early as 3 years old. To support this, we have several prek sites across our schools, including Costco, Hamilton Avenue, Julian Curtis, New Lebanon School, North Street School, Old Greenwich, and next year adding Parkway to the mix. Beginning in 2022, we invested in curricular resources to support this strong foundation, including foundations and piloting preK Hegrity at Hamilton Avenue. We built upon that foundation with an overhaul of the prek creative curriculum in 2324. And we're excited to see that this cohort of students will be third graders next year. And we're

008excited at an achievement report in the future to show how that strong foundation is showing up in the scores we care about. Next, I'm going to kick it off with Principal Monaco of Glenville School. She's going to come up to showcase how Gator Gains are showing up in growth and achievement. >> Thank you everyone. Um, we are a proud community in Glennville. Um, and I'm very proud of my teachers and our students for working hard. Each year we have made gains year-over-year and so we're proud of our success. Um, if you remember last year when I was at this meeting, um, I highlighted our 1% changes and slowly chipped away and sort of growing, um, our scores in our community at Glenville. This year we, uh, are still doing those, you know, um, habits and

009skills that were successful, but we have really added to our bag of tricks. Um this year we really focused on actionable data and leveraging the adults within our building to sort of make some gains um for students. And so um we have a growing population at Glennville. I think at this time we're the largest elementary school and this year in particular we had 40% new staff in the building and so we really wanted to make sure that we were meeting all the needs of our students. Um so what we did is um move students through tiers of instruction, tried to have um many adults in the in classrooms as often as possible. If you can see here, this is a picture of a first grade classroom um in in the big picture in the middle

010and you can see a smartboard in the front with um a teacher working with a small group. There's also students working independently. Also simultaneously in the back of the room is um another teacher working with another group of students. And so this is sort of a typical picture of what we've been doing very flexibly to support students across our building. Um and I think it's been very helpful. Uh something else that helped us sort of move through these tiers of instruction and really target our support in meeting students needs was getting into that actionable data. So for the first year um this year we gave NWA to students second through fifth grade in the beginning of the year as well as middle of the year um and use that data to really create some flexible

011groupings and um opportunities to remediate as well as accelerate. Um and so what you'll notice in those two graphs there that is um we reached high growth and high achievement from fall to winter. Um and so it was really using that data and um having teachers in the rooms and using the flexible grouping and um really making sure that students were getting what they need in that moment. It helped us able to accelerate and remediate quickly and you know we showed sort of great growth. So our hope is now that our endofear data will look as positive as that. So fingers crossed. Questions for me? response since the whole question. >> Yeah. Okay. Well, next I welcome Principal Hammock who will share how he's bringing new momentum to the ISD community. >> Hi everybody. Um,

012so this is my first year at ISD and one of the things that came up in the interview process and in me meeting with really all stakeholders including parents um and staff was uh the importance of really building trust this year with a brand new administrative team. I also have a new assistant principal. Um so a couple of things that we did really intentionally at the beginning of the year was just increase our presence. um ask a lot of questions and not overpromise to anybody that we were going to have the answer immediately. Arrival, dismissal, the lunchroom. Um it's really important to me that teachers were able to see me in their classroom really every day and know that when I was having conversations with them about what was happening in their room that it

013was coming from a place of understanding their practice on a day-to-day basis instead of a one-off observation that might have happened in a bad moment or in a good moment and just kind of having a holistic view of what's going on every day. Um, and then a couple of things that really and then with with our parent community, the other thing that I would say that was really important for me was just to be really available to them in person. And so that was something that obviously, you know, our our community values really in the- moment response. And that's something that I wanted to make sure that not only was that available digitally, but also they saw me at arrival, they saw me at dismissal, they knew that I was a face that they could

014have conversations with. Um, especially in my first year. A couple of things instructionally that were really important for us this year with our teaching staff was the introduction of inter visitation cycles. We gave teachers a lot of autonomy twice in the fall and then again in the winter and it kind of bled into the spring a little bit to visit each other's classrooms and that took some logistical work to pull that off. But what I really wanted people to do, so they're broken up into different committees with different um lenses to to view each other's practice and they went into each other's classrooms just looking for positive things um as critical thought partners obviously, but really highlights some work that's going on in a colleague's classroom and they did that twice and I think that

015also just kind of built some positive momentum for seeing that there are amazing things happening in every room. And then the other thing that I tried to be very intentional about this year is be really an elbow partner with unit level planning um and making sure that when we had our coordinators in the building talking about some of the core curricula that I was a part of those conversations really in the weeds lesson by lesson so the teachers knew that they could trust me as the instructional leader um and not just the person who was kind of the the face of the building outside. So those are a couple things that we did with teachers. Um, and then the other thing that I would just end with that I've just kind of tried to name

016for our staff this year is that where there may be some disagreement, what I owe them all of the time is the why. And so that's something that I think has been really helpful as we've had conversations as we, you know, as we've had to have conversations about instruction and about critical feedback over the course of the year. >> Great. >> Thank you. And now I invite up principal Ramirez who will show how North Miamiis is building thinking classrooms and showing strong math results. >> I'm Kathleen um and you can see our slide. I know that you've seen it already. I just want to highlight a few things. Um the midyear benchmark for grade five, we had 88% of our fifth graders make benchmark in math. But what that doesn't say is um 62% of

017that 88 were at a level four. So, one of our goals as a school is taking our students who are already at benchmark and making those threes fours and building those fours to be higher fours. So, that was great data for us. It's also important to us that our kids are involved in what we're doing. So, we did a fifth grade survey on how we're teaching math and um 93% of our fifth graders like the way we're teaching math this year, which the picture show that our building thinking classrooms in math, which um every lesson begins with a a complicated word problem, random groups, um vertical um non-permanent boards. They work together on the problem and you really hear the conversation that they're having. Um, this has extended into other areas of their life, including

018that when they go on a field trip, invariably a dosent will say to the fifth grade teachers. We've never had kids ask such great questions, and you can tell they're really thinking about it. Um, what also it doesn't say up there is that we wouldn't have been able to do this without the help of Mike Reid. Um, Mike has helped us to not only set up our classrooms with the whiteboards and make sure that our teachers got professional development, but has also been there with us in the building helping us to do this. We have extended it from grade five to four to three and to two this year. Um and we've been very lucky and we thank Mike for that. Um lastly, um we wouldn't be where we are without the staff that we

019have. It's not just the classroom teachers, it's everybody in the building all towards the same goal, which is growing our kids. Our families are supportive of it. And then lastly, um it's our kids. Our kids really, they want to do well. um and in particular in math. They do love the way that we're doing it and they ask they can do it in other subject areas and we're trying everything we can. Thank you. >> All right. And next up, Principal Flood will share how North Street students love science permeates their entire day. >> Thank you. Good evening. So, I want to speak a little bit about science at North Street. Um, in addition to the tremendous growth that we had on our scores last year, I really more importantly want to speak about why the

020students love science and how, like Tara said, it's kind of permeating throughout the day. So, our students love the fact that it's very hands-on. They enjoy engaging in the experiments where they get to try to solve problems and use multiple different attempts to try to find the best way to solve that problem. They love making their hypothesis and trying it out and then trying to find better and better ways to solve those problems. So, they're doing STEM with design theory and media classes. And then in their classrooms using the units of study that were provided by Tara and the district related to the NGSS, they have lots of wonderful hands-on engaging experiments that they're doing where they're using inquiry to really get to know the concepts and to understand the scientific process. So, some of

021the things that I shared here are related to um the fact that we had 106 students participating in our science fair this year for second through fifth graders, which was incredible. And the experiments that they created were unbelievable. They were original. They used their scientific principles that they're learning about to really put together amazing experiments. We had an afterchool kids crazy science class and we had to open up a second section because it was to capacity and we were able to double the number of students who participated and they did all kinds of really fun experiments there as well. Um these photos, some of the things that the students did that they absolutely loved. The photo that was my favorite is the students who are using the cardboard boxes to make the ramps. This was

022taken during indoor recess and I had to stop and say like, "Hey, what's going on here?" And they were like, "Well, we did this in science and we loved it so much that our teacher lets us take it out for indoor recess and continue to try to build better ramps." Um, but they love it. And the third graders got to build make um paper airplanes and try to find the most aerodynamic and then they also launched rockets and played with magnets and trying to investigate and figure out how things work. So they're really really loving science and it's amazing to see how engaged they are. >> Thank you. >> All right. And next up, principal of Old Greenwich School, Dr. Beno is here to discuss how she keeps the OG dolphin families afloat. >> Thank

023you. Um, you know, what people don't realize about OG is really truly how international it is and and transient it is. So if when you look at the data and you see that this year's fifth grade may have 59 students in it and 60 um students when they were in kindergarten of that there were only 38 that were continuous and we have kids coming and going all the time. Um in fact at the beginning of this year we got a lovely family from Norway who are leaving at the end of the year and that's typical for our cycle. um about 28% of our population turns over every 18 months, which is really interesting. And um that precoid was was a trend after COVID slowed down a bit, but has um picked up significantly since um

024January. We've gotten new families from England, Ireland, um Canada, Australia, um South Africa, California, and New York. And that's just in the last couple of months. And um that's typical for OG. It's a pretty spectacular place. So, Mrs. Bertram, my assistant principal, and I spend a lot of time trying to make our small little community um fit for every kiddo that we have and for the parents as well. It's very important to us that everyone is able to make a home in our little village. Um whether they speak multiple languages and we had um an incredible common table that represented um 58 different countries which was remarkable and um celebrated just the beauty of the school and the community. We offer um parent programs that we have multiple times a year to bring parents in

025whether it's an opportunity to just hear from us about the various grade levels, what we're doing um curricularly, what we're doing for curriculum enrichment or um parent university which we offer um all the time and in different opportunities just in learning about who we are as parents and bringing in some of the expertise from um the community to help us with that. Um but it is um this I think really captures who we are and just this morning our family from Norway let us know that it is um on May 17th Norway Constitution Day and so they celebrated that over the loudspeaker and um taught all of the kids about it which was wonderful. And then this afternoon we brought in um for AAPI month a an incredible woman who taught us Catholic dance from

026um India which was tremendous for all of our kids. >> Yes, I'm ready. Absolutely. [laughter] Mark limited my time. Thank you. >> And N. [laughter] And now, Principal Granville will showcase the strategies in place that are working to improve results across disciplines. >> Hi, good evening everyone. Mary Granville and this is my ninth year as the principal of Parkway School. And for the last several years, we've really focused our attention on improving our students comprehension, our reading comprehension, and we've seen some nice performance numbers and some great growth yeartoyear. So this year, not taking the gas off that, but wanting to kind of lean in and using those strategies to help support our math and science um learning for our students. And this year, we've really also leaned into the PLC model by meeting with

027teachers every week. And at those meetings, we are looking at data for every child every week to see where we can make improvements and where we can support their learning. What we found with math, our kids perform, they're good. They're good computers, but what we realized what they were falling down on was their comprehension. Because so much of math is not just being able to add or subtract. It's being able to read a problem, understand it, and know what am I going to do, what operation am I going to use. So, the work that we've been doing in reading has really transferred over nicely into helping kids really do close reading to understand what the questions are asking so that then they can apply their math knowledge to be able to figure it out and

028come to a conclusion. Another thing we've looked at in our MTSS meetings is are our kids making the progress we expect. So again, it's looking back at the different measures that we have um incorporating some other um ways of doing exit tickets and things like that to make sure that we are up to date and know exactly where our children are at any given time because it's only with that knowledge can we then take it, use it, and make meaningful differences for students. Um and the other area that we've been looking at closely is science. And when I spoke to you in October, I was not thrilled with where our science scores were and GSS from last year. That's been a major focus this year. And again, using those skills in close reading and reading

029comprehension to be able to lean into science. We've looked at ours pacing. We've done some great work with our former science coordinator um to really focus in that area. And we're really excited with the work our kids have been doing and um we expect some great progress when we get our SBA scores back. Great. >> Thank you. All righty. And next up, Principal Martine is here to tell you how Riverside students go above and beyond the core curriculum to challenge their learners. >> Yes. Hey everyone, good evening. Um, so I came here two years ago from Florida and after I was uh congratulated on my hire from Dr. Jones, the very next phone call I got was from our PTA and our parents. >> And uh it foreshadowed kind of what was to come. And

030so, you know, I'm here tonight uh proud to share how we partner with our PTA and our parents to support the learning in our school. Uh so, what you see here is 20 plus unique experiences that our PTA supports um to enrich the curriculum. What's important to mention is that all of these experiences are hands-on. they are real world and uh oftent times they are with a specialist or an expert that comes into the building and gives our kids these unique experiences. Um also what's important to mention is that all of these are timely. So these occur in the curriculum when they're being taught. So it's really important um to mention and you can only imagine the amount of organization and planning that goes behind that. But that's our PTA. They seek out these experiences.

031They organize. they facilitate it and it all happens in the beginning of the year in collaboration with our teachers. Um, so this is uh just one of the many things that our PTA and our parents do to support our school in a multitude of ways, but this specifically supports the learning in our school. Uh, so yeah, these three pictures that you see here are three of the experiences that are happening. The first one is our STEM fair, which is our K5 experience. It's awesome to hear kids talking about the scientific method coming up with a problem of practice uh triing and erroring and uh then uh these these specific specific kids they were talking about data then they were saying in conclusion we feel this toothpaste is the best toothpaste because dot dot dot uh

032the second experience that you see there is our pinball games where our students in I believe I think that's fourth grade they're exploring um forces and motion They're designing um pinball games. They're changing just the tension on the rubber bands and they're having those conversations. It's collaborative. And then the last one is the Journeys program which sets up a museum uh in our school and kids uh get to explore Native American history. So this is just a few of the many many things that happen in our school to support our curriculum. And it's why I believe Riverw why Riverside is such an ex uh such such an an amazing place to work. So >> great. And moving on to our middle schools, Principal Healey is showcasing the path that his students and staff have taken

033to grow across all content areas in the past two years. >> Good evening everyone. Uh so yes um I think the the best place to start on this slide is right in the middle that 67 in blue which was the shot that really um I think surprised uh our staff but also created a great sense of urgency to revisit some of the practices that we have. um what happened a few years ago uh really just um reinvigorated us to use our team time, our collaborative time to make sure we're looking specifically at data and also um instructional strategies. So, um, the instructional conversations that were happening alongside the SEAL conversations about kids in middle school, which happen often, um, were really important and as you [clears throat] can see, uh, the rebound afterward was was

034a a very quick gain. Um, what I don't have up here is, uh, our NWA scores. So, um, we were offered an opportunity to kind of, um, jump on board with with implementing the MAP assessment, um, with some of the other schools in the district, uh, which we jumped at. And, um, teachers have really enjoyed the specificity of the responses they're getting and what they can do in the classroom with individual students, groups of students, um, to really target their instruction. Um, so, uh, what we found at our mid-year benchmark this year is that all three grades in both ELA and math are in the high growth, high achievement quadrant of the graph. Um, I probably should have put that on that slide, but I will just say it's there. Um, where we have leveraged

035our um, our gains, I think, is through some very specific professional learning. Um, we have had Avid at Central for a long time. um it's really been focused on its implementation of the instructional strategies. And so what we decided to do is we decided to focus specifically on the reading strategies and making sure that our teachers across all content areas understood how to teach reading in general, but then also specific to their content area, vocabulary, word walls, especially when you're getting into taking science for the first time for a full period. um how uh social studies is looking at the non-fiction reading and the vocabulary specific to those. Uh so what we found was that there was a lot more interdisciplinary work that be could be done to coordinate our reading instruction and I believe

036that has really helped in all of our our areas. Um much like we heard earlier, our math department has also through the help of Mr. Reid gotten into the vertical whiteboards and the building thinking classroom. So the math discourse is happening at much higher levels in much more collaborative ways in the classroom. Um and then ultimately this idea that um teachers now are more easily connecting the data they're getting on kids with the instructional moves they're going to make in the classroom um has really just streamlined our processes. So, um, our our shock a few years ago, uh, has really been, um, met with a great deal of passion, dedication, care, uh, maybe a little bit of personal affront to our teachers in a good way. Um, and, uh, they've really rebounded and, and honestly,

037they have really taken off on their own. We've been able to use the coordinator team and and Dr. white to um help get the teachers uh the information they need in their hands to make those decisions in a timely manner and then implement them with the kids. So, we're we're very excited to see what what the scores are going to be this year because we are trending in a very strong direction. >> Thank you. >> And next up, Principal Gino is here to talk about Eastern's legacy of consistently high performance and what they're focused on as Gators this year. >> Uh good evening everybody. Um, I probably like to just maybe highlight that um, we really want to focus on how we're uh, really forging relationships and how important relationships have been over the past

038several years to really make sure that we're um, our families know that we're partnering with them in a lot of different ways. We I think you've heard from our colleagues uh before me who um are talking about the the really strong work that's being done in the classroom of how parents are uh integrating um and uh within the school through PTA and we have really really strong evidence of that. So how do we build and sort of maintain that? So, when we look at our parent survey um and how we're communicating and connecting with them, it really is a source of pride that we have 43% growth over the past four years and how important those connections are, especially at at the middle level. Our students are not in middle school anymore, excuse me, in

039elementary school anymore and they're not necessarily ready for high school. So what is that sweet spot and how do we maintain that relationship in a positive way um with our families working on restorative practices and the relationships that students have uh with one another in the building and how teachers are interacting with students and really helping to model and guide students um really in a in a very challenging uh developmental time you know in their lives I think was really um an area of focus that we felt that we could really uh leverage a lot if we really were focusing on the culture um in our school and how we wanted students to really respect and understand one another, but how teachers were engaging in that conversation. Um, and that really all leads to, I

040think, what you've heard, this really strong vertical articulation, not only in science, which we have strong evidence in our building, but also in ELA in math. And we looked at our results last year. Uh, we're proud that we were the highest performing uh, middle school in the state of Connecticut in NGSS. And that's the work that our teachers are doing. That's how they're setting up instruction. That's how they're really really focusing um on um uh students really talking and thinking scientifically in all their um opportunities that they have. And it's really amazing when students um are really digging in and having really meaningful conversations. And I think of myself being in sixth, seventh or eighth graders. I was not having those those conversations. And it's really really um incredible. We have some pictures. our students

041here um are working on vertical surfaces and that's the pundit square um and there's a lot of parallels that we see um in the training and the work that our teachers are doing in math but when we look across ELA and math we're top five in all those uh metrics and we're really really proud of the work that our teachers are doing um our teachers are working collaboratively that's a um that's a photo from the beginning of the year that was our launch on restorative practices um and really teachers having a vested interest in really sort of improving the culture and contributing that in a positive way. So, thank you very much. >> And to wrap up our middle schools, Principal Coin is here to share the hard work that leaders, staff, and students are

042doing to improve the match cohort outcomes at Western Middle School. >> Good evening. Um, we're really excited to share uh the progress Western's made over the last bunch of years, but especially last year. Um, I'm going to go reverse just because I'm going to talk a little about more about math. But our science growth has been is in tremendous. It's the highest we've ever had. Um, the highest advanced we've ever had. Um, our our science team with the help of Tara has really come together as a group and they own all grades own the tests and they're working to support the students in all grades so they're successful. Um, our English we are at the highest since 2018. the kids. What I'm really proud of is our kids. Like um Dr. Benzango said, we have

043a lot of kids that move in and out of Western. And when we look at the kids that are with us from the minute they walk in to the minute they leave, they're making tremendous growth. And that's something we're really proud of. Um and you see that really well in the English scores. Um and in math, we are at the uh highest at benchmark, lowest at level ones. Um we have the most we're moving kids into more advanced classes. We've done a lot in math um to to make this happen. And we added last year a math lab for our onle sixth grade students. They had an extra class period on a pattern with their math teachers. This was really successful. We saw a 200% growth in the number of onle kids who m who

044were benchmark um and that was wonderful. So we actually moved it to the seventh and eighth grade as well and we're really excited about the progress they'll make. teachers are loving that extra time with the students um to work on kind of foundational skills, reinforce some skills that they may, you know, be lacking, but also to ensure that they're understanding the content. You also have a seventh grade, we started last year, um math acceleration class for students in the sixth grade on level who we identify as having great potential to be advanced um in algebra in eighth grade. So, it's a class that has um those students and they have an extra math uh time with their math teacher and that helps us with our goal of moving more kids into the advanced into algebra.

045And then finally, we have um something unique to Western also a math enrichment class which we have for our single jump students because we have a lot of students who really show the potential um may not always have this the work habits or the support and we want to support them. my own children went to Western and they were in those classes and now they're in high school honors and the AP classes, but it allows them to have that opportunity to be in advanced class. Um, so that's really something we're proud of. So again, what we are very proud of is the growth our fifth to eighth graders make um in the three years. I want to highlight just a little bit more because we're more than test scores and and we're a community and

046um what's really special at Western is we're we're AVID schoolwide. It's ingrained in what we do. Um we have AVID awards um in mid-carter and end of quarter where kids get rewarded for their growth for their kindness for for their AVID type behaviors and um and habits. So it's really nice. The kids love that. We also just have AVID has we have a wonderful career day. We just had it in last month where we have 60 plus community members and families come and and and teach our students about careers which is part of our AVID um goals but just really important for our students. and then all the other things we have with our Sudell sprint, our kindness say, it just makes Western special and unique. Um, and it's a wonderful place to be. Thank

047you. >> And next, Principal Mayo is here to speak about the graduation rate improvement at Greenwich High School. People have saying been saying that to me for years. >> Good evening everyone. Thank you for uh allowing us all to come up here and share some really amazing results with all of you. Um about three or four years ago, superintendent called me and said, you know, your graduation rate is uh not great. and uh she challenged me to get to a certain point. I love a challenge as she knows. So um when uh we got uh this news from the state uh back in December, I almost fell off my chair because we knew we were in 97 or maybe a little bit higher, maybe 97. We didn't think we were at 98 um based on

048our own calculations. So getting to 98% from 94 and a half is amazing work. Um that was done by our staff. Our teachers did this work. Um the MTS process is has kicked in at the high school and it's working well in our houses. Our house teams are working on plans for students. So when I meet with uh the house administrators uh I meet with them twice per quarter. I review their the kids' grades and they're not coming in anymore and saying, "Well, we're going to talk to this kid or we're going to send a letter or we're going to have a parent come." No, I want a plan. So, they have developed plans for me and off we go. And that's a lot of that. A lot of that 98% belongs to the house

049teams who develop plans for the students that are having difficulty. We also have an amazing AVID program. I met with one of the AVID teachers uh this morning at our end year uh review. 11 out of her 12 students, they're not just graduating, they're go they're going to college. The 12th student is going into the family business and they're talking him into going to Norwok to do some finance and business classes. So that when he um is able to take over that business, he's ready. So, so adds working well for us in terms of graduation rate. Um, as I said, MTSS, we uh came up with this idea uh two years ago and the superintendent helped us push it along. The high seed program we call it, but it's a lot of our students were

050behind in credits and they're able to go online in using uh program called Ingenuity and to gain those credits back. So that also has helped that 98% uh grow. Um and also we do have alternative programs. You've all been to Windrose for Windrose Graduation. You've seen that. And uh the educational wellness center is also another place where students can get uh it's an alternative program where students can get their education in a in a different manner which um and my colleagues uh who saw this slide didn't want me to forget a couple things. So, um, we have, uh, the visual art, um, where we received multiple scholastic art awards, but the music program K12 at for the Grunge Public Schools has named one of the best music programs in the country for the first time

051since 2021. So, they wanted me to get that in there. And, uh, uh, getting national recognition for something like that is big. Uh also our science staff uh our NGSS scores are number one overall in the state and number two in uh percentage of uh students reaching uh either three or four on the on the on that test. So I wanted to make sure I got those in otherwise tomorrow uh catch a lot of grief. Um but you can read the other stuff. I mean really uh AP calculus when we put that in um we've gotten amazing results 195 students out of 216 received a five um we actually thought our never mind I go there um and our you know in ELA our high need students uh did a great job um and our

052ELA scores went up a great deal and And the you have the survey results which are on uh top there with the students and the parents. Our parent survey results have always been around that number. But our student survey results with students feeling connected to Granch High School that's jumped nine points um from last year to this year. So I think all that contributes to that 98% um graduation rate. So, um, one more percentage point and we hit the, uh, goal that was sent for us. Uh, and, uh, but I'm not making promises about next year. I'm just reporting this year. So, thank you all. Appreciate it. >> Right. And you may have thought that we forgot four principles who are sitting back, but I I assure you we have not. Um the success that

053Greenwich Public School saw in the 24-25 school year with record high achievement across the district did not mean that our administrators simply let off the gas. In fact, that incredible growth fueled an even deeper determination and connection amongst our K5 priority school cohort including Costco school, Hamilton Avenue School, Julian Critter School, and New Lebanon School. They're more committed than ever to build on the strengths from last year. And the real engine behind that work is the cohort themselves. the collaboration where these principles understand that sustained progress requires sustained effort. They lean on one another for support. They work together to use unified assessments, streamlined data protocols, and this group who proudly call themselves the elementary principal Titans exemplifies that shared responsibility and dedication needed to drive academic excellence results in success. Next, each Titan will

054showcase the work they are most proud of. This year we will start with principal Gavin who will showcase how Costco school is driven by growth and focused on achievement. >> Thank you. >> Hello everybody. Um so thanks for the opportunity to be here tonight. Uh the last time I was in this chair, uh I we were tasked with ask answering the question, what keeps us up at night? And we talked about um how all of the efforts that we're making, how how we needed to get those to translate into more meaningful growth and stronger SBA outcomes. And one of the pieces of of points of pride that I like to share is the momentum that is growing um towards developing a culture that is very much data driven and um it's kind of all-encompassing at

055this point. It's and it's it's wonderful. I've seen a shift in our staff um and they are equally as invested in developing that culture. Um and that has trickled down to the kids who are also becoming more invested in their own learning and more accountable and and taking more ownership of what's going on in the classroom. Uh in terms of what we've done specifically uh during our PLC time that we when we meet with the grade level teams weekly we are looking at um unit assessments common assessments um previous SBA we're looking at NWA we're looking at dibbles every all of the different data points that we have available. We're looking at those and breaking those down on a grade by grade level, a class by class level, and a student by student level so

056that we can really see what every child needs um in order to grow. And um the the market shift in just the kind of levels of conversations that we're having in the PLC's have been has been awesome. Um, one of our um, areas for growth this year was um, targeted small groupoup instruction. So again, we're kind of having data consistently being the the center centerpiece of all of our instructional decision-m including the the small group instruction. Um, I talked about kind of the the laser focus on every student's growth. Um, as we as we feel the the stressors of SBA coming toward us every year in the in the distance and then we get closer and closer, there is a definite increase in anxiety uh on part of the staff, myself included, um, about getting

057those scores where they need to be. And sometimes the numbers that we put out on our school improvement goals seem way out there. Um, and we've really tried to make those those numbers more actionable and attainable by breaking them down, as I said before, on a grade by grade, class by class, student by student, how many students we need to get over that hump, uh, and how many students we need to keep over that hump. Um, in addition to the stuff that we've been doing in school, the the awesome Titans um that you're going [clears throat] to get to hear from afterwards, we've really uh collaborated on February and April break school to maximize the learning opportunities outside of the school day. Um, at Costco school, we also implemented a a much more significant climb

058program, so core learning instruction and mastery boost. So, it was a before and after school support program. um that met with a lot of success and and and hopefully that will again will translate into uh stronger SBA results. Um I know I've gotten past my two minutes. I apologize for that. But >> um we we can't do any of this work without these two here and and um and the other coordinators because they are so supportive uh consistently jumping in to classrooms into our PLC's to to help lead those discussions around data. um couldn't be more appreciative of their help and obviously the Titans behind me um are amazing thought partners and uh I can't wait to continue our work um tomorrow and beyond. So, thank you. >> Thank you. >> All righty. Next up,

059Principal Fox is here to share how Hamilton Avenue smashed their goals last year and what they're doing to keep it up now. >> Thank you. So happy to be here. um just finishing up my fourth year at Hamilton Avenue School and as Tara said, we did smash our goals and we're so incredibly proud of that. So um we two years ago we were not very satisfied with how we were performing as a school. So last school year we really um welcomed the opportunity to be considered a priority school in this town. And with the assistance of everybody under the sun, we were able to really um put some strategic things in place to help our students with uh the support of some grant funding that we got last school year. We were able to um

060um increase our school day to expand our school day and we started that about halfway through the school year and we had some um fantastic results um as a result of that and really looking closely at our data and planning for exactly what students need. Um, I said to my teachers two years ago, I don't want to be the last. I don't want to be in last place anymore. It doesn't feel good. And and they were defeated, but now we're not. Now we're not. Now we're right here in competition with everybody else. Even though I know we're not being competitive, but it does feel good. I will say it does feel good to really be um in in it. We feels good to be in it and not last anymore. So you could see our

061graphs. They show the amazing amazing progress that we made. And then Mr. Demo made me feel really nervous when he said, "You know, year two is always harder when you get those great results." So, I was back under my desk. No, I'm only kidding. Um, so what we did was we we said, "Yeah, we're ready for this challenge." And um um as our little um husky says, we believed and they achieved and now we're just keeping it going. And what we have done this year with the support of this this district and and the board and you guys and and our our colleagues that we work with, we expanded our school day. We didn't do it in the way that we had envisioned which was really make the school day longer. But we did um

062um leverage some funds including lots of um grants that we uh re received to extend our instructional day about 2,800 but it's actually probably closer to 2900 additional staff hours uh for academic support. And what we did was um although we are the earliest school in the district, we still started even earlier than that. So, we have students that arrive as early as 7:10 in the morning and they start their academics that early. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's early, but they're there. Every everyone is there. Some of some of them beat me in. And uh we also have after school programming for all students, grades one through five, and it's gone um incredibly well. Some students are uh volunteering to come, others have been kind of invited to come. And we've used that data starting in

063September. We we did this. We we did um lots of skill building the first half of the the school year. The second half of the school year, we got a little bit more focused with the results of our NWA and our careful data analysis to really um give the students what we need. We're very excited. We're just about finished up with our our standardized testing. We started um at the very beginning of April with um NGSS. So, uh we can't wait. I refresh my computer every single, you know, few minutes just to see those test scores are coming in. Everyone's sick of hearing me say it, but it's the truth. Um, also what we have done this year area, uh, this year, as Carrie mentioned, um, and even Suzanne said, expanding our school day. We

064also expanded, um, we had Saturday school this year at Hamilton Avenue School, which was really fun and April and February break schools. And I couldn't have done it without the Titans. So we all sort of um took turns and participated um being administrators for these great programs um on the on the extra days and which really was like a cross-campus kind of collaboration and we it was great for me because I got introduced to all different teachers from all different schools who really want to dig in and do the hard work with our students. The kids were happy. They were a little upset because I promised them garden catering and I only and I gave them sandwiches instead of nuggets but we we we made it right for them. So they were very happy by

065the end of it all. And um the other piece of of doing those um schools is we're able to work with our colleagues, people who really um demonstrate some leadership potential because we are really uh wanting to um get give some of our teachers leadership opportunities. So we've called some people lead teachers and they've helped us plan and shape this school and also provide some structure for their uh for their um their their peers. And um again, just to reiterate that we really couldn't do it without our peer-to-peer partnerships. Our teachers asked for it. We uh made sure it happened through the different schools. We're going to continue that. And it's also um been it's resonated really well for us in terms of collaborative partners. So, thanks. >> All righty. And next, Principal Calderon is

066here to share the unique and powerful ways that JC leverages data in the hands of their students. >> Good evening. Um it's an honor for me to share on behalf of JC. Uh we are building momentum and we are on the um on an upward trajectory and that's not only because we have a new elevator. Um although we are super excited about our elevator. Uh we made good use of it on Friday for grandparents day. They were super grateful that we [laughter] had that in place. Um and uh we I have the most amazing building committee. So, thank you for all the work that is that has gone on and continues to go on. Um, but in the last uh year, we were able to see some increase in our um state scores across all

067the three content areas including science, math, and ELA. Um, in the past two years, we've had a 22% increase in our math and a 13% increase in our ELA. Um, we attribute that to our focus on data. Data is really elevating our achievement. um the focus in JC and what we're working on is developing um our data literacy muscle and so uh teachers are using data. We're not just collecting it but we really are analyzing and using that data um to to plan for instruction to drive that instruction to strengthen uh planning for teachers and also to stren to promote um and uh support student growth. Um our teachers are collecting data on an ongoing basis. So this is not just once, twice, three times a year. This is really ongoing. This is from marking

068period to marking period, from unit to unit, from chapter to chapter because we really want the most recent relevant data that's going to give us information about who the students are at that moment in real time so that we can meet their needs in our small group instruction, which is what teachers use a lot of that data for. Um and so it that the small groupoup instruction allows them to then uh deliver some very um prescribed targeted instruction to our kiddos. And so uh that has proven to be effective uh over at JC um teachers those the small groups are um helping students to also uh feel seen and valued by the by the teachers that are delivering that instruction. Um, one of the most powerful things that we did this year was put the

069data in the hands of students. Um, and that was super powerful. Uh, having students uh sit with their student profile page from the NWA. That's what we're using as our screener for ELA and math. Um, and so students sit with their um their profile page so they see where they are, not who they are, but where they are. Um, and we use questions to guide um that those those data conferences, those conversations. So we see that picture up at the uh lefthand corner. That's me having an actual data conference with a group of fifth graders. Um and uh those questions help to help them to make sense of that data. What does what do all these numbers and words mean? Um and then also helps them to reflect and then ultimately make very meaningful goals

070for themselves based on what they themselves choose as a target area from that profile. Um so that was really powerful because um what I saw was students be um their level of confidence uh was was uh immediately like you could see they would perk up, they would sit up, they were uh because they were it made sense to them. It wasn't just an an exam or a test where a teacher was telling them this is where what you need to do better. They were figuring that out for themselves. Um, so the the level of confidence that it that um increase for our kids um but also the the ownership, taking ownership of their learning and really feeling like I can speak to what I do well and I can also speak to what I need

071to work on. Um, and this is what I'm going to do for myself. I don't have to wait for my teacher to do this or my parents or I can do this for myself. And I'm thinking I think a lot about how to prepare my scholars for middle school. Uh which really is part of our job as elementary school principles. And I and the more independent that they can be and the more they own their learning, the more successful I believe that they will be um in middle school, high school um and beyond. So that is the work that we're dedicated to um at JC and we work towards that every single day. Um, and we I could not do that work without the wonderful staff that I have, but also the collaboration that I

072have with the rest of the Titan team and the support that I received from the district. So, thank you. >> All right. And our final principal tonight, Dr. Russo, is here to share how he's leading this work at New Lebanon School. >> Hi, everyone. Good evening. Nice to see you all. So proud of uh the work of all of my colleagues. Happy to wrap it up for you this evening. Um I got an opportunity to be with you all in October to talk to you uh in detail about uh the data uh at as part of the achievement report. We saw double digit gains across all of the tested areas for the second year in a row. Super proud of that. But um I wanted to just take a few moments tonight to highlight some

073of the adult professional structures that we put in place that really make those outcomes possible. So um all of the many of the principles and certainly all of the Titans because of the urgency around the data in our particular schools have talked about the collection um and anal an analyzing of data. Many of you have been to my school and some of you have actually sat and looked at data with me which is a welcome opportunity. Uh we got to talk to some teachers to hear how they um you know look at their assessments and pack the student gaps and plan intentionally to fill those student gaps uh as they're embedded in the curriculum units. And a lot of that happens during really structured, intentional um professional learning communities that we have both built into

074the school day and with the extended time um that's built into the Wednesday afternoons where students are I'm sorry, teachers are looking at the curriculum um planning for anticipated misconceptions that the students might have so that they could remove those in a really intentional way. Matching student uh lessons to the most appropriate material so that that learning becomes accessible to the broadest audience possible. And all of this is really like in the spirit of innovation and curating uh best the most impactful best practices so that we can scale them through um teachers visiting one another, planning together, um having the opportunity to be in each other's classrooms so that um the the rising tide lifts all all ships. And because that work is so intense, we don't uh pass up an opportunity to have a

075little bit of fun and and uh show the students the way that they can apply all of this knowledge outside of like their core curriculum. So I've gotten to talk to you all about our big amazing race we do before the SBA. But on the upper leftand side, uh we did uh escape rooms with our students. Those are actually students with their parents. that this is a parent activity where the the kids were locked inside of the classroom and there were different codes hidden all around the classroom that they needed to draw upon their math and their science knowledge knowledge to break the code with mom and dad and and grandparents and um bust out of the classroom and that was just one of of a lot of fun innovative things we do and I'm

076very excited this year about our farmtoschool initiative last summer I was up in the middle of the heat wave uh on a farm in Vermont with some parents and some teachers at the New England FarmtoSchool Institute we came back with a plan to really connect the school garden to the students curricul uh instructional units and um we've done a lot of really great work uh around that. This year every season students have the opportunity to be uh have their hands in the garden. We have these big harvest days. We pulled the most beautiful radishes out of a frozen garden ground in the dead of January. Radishes in Connecticut in January. Yes, it's possible. And um we Tara came to kale day and we have strawberry harvesting happening at the end of June. You're all very

077much invited. And um actually just yesterday we heard from the Greenwich Alliance. That's not a secret, right? The Greenwich Alliance grants. Uh I didn't see anything in there that we weren't allowed to share. We got a nice very very generous grant about $23,000 to uh beef that up for next year. So I look forward to coming back and sharing even more about that next year. >> Thank you guys very much so much. chairman. >> Well, so so so so thank you. The um I I appreciate I think we all we all appreciate this. Um um um that was that was fantastic. It was great to see that kind of um sprint through the district. Um I think I think it was terrific. I thought everything was personally I was thrilled to hear about everything. I'm

078a little concerned about kale day, but everything else >> I think sounds terrific. Uh the um I know in all honesty I was uh when Dr. Jones mentioned last week, so all the principles are coming and they're all going to um give a a little um talk and highlighting their school. You know, I said, well, that wasn't what we that wasn't that wasn't what we've done in the past. the um we haven't done that previously. Bring everybody. Are we sure we want to do that? Um and I'm so glad we did. Um because this was far from um for lack of a better word, this was far from a a dog and pony show or just a hey, look at us, but really really highlighting the work, the real work that's being done um at

079the classroom level uh throughout the district. Um, I'm sure many of you saw, um, I know the board did, uh, the New York Times article yesterday, um, where across the country, the vast majority of school districts across the country are, um, have most of their students one or two or three grade levels below. And if you went through and used their tool, which I'm sure many of you did, we went went through and you plug in Greenwich and you see exactly where we are. And we are not in that group. Um we we we and we said this um when we presented the budget this year um we are one of the few districts and the New York Times now we can see the New York Times um that um have by and large completely

080erased the the learning losses from COVID and instead of being where we are uh before CO or even excelling in in many ways and that's um really a testament to all the work you can see why based on all the work we saw here. So, so thank you on behalf of the board really thank you for for the presentation and and and and um all the work that the teachers are doing every day in the classroom uh for our students. Um my assumption is that there are some questions out there. Um so so I'll I'll defer to to my colleagues here. Does anybody have um anything? Miss Hurst, go ahead. >> Well, just to start with less much like uh Dr. Uh, Raanti Anthony, I wanted to just say it's such a pleasure to see

081all you guys here. I know that we don't have the opportunity to go to, you know, school to school to school as we have in the past and had the opportunity to sort of see what everybody is doing and all the school communities, you know, different flavors and and you know, community uh type stuff. But I I just I really love being able to hear the points of pride. And I just wanted to say to each one of um our administrative members that are here, like you can hear you can hear the pride and the joy watching each one of you talk about the special things that are happening in your school and the growth and the strides that your students have made and the incredible amount of work that has been done by your

082teachers and staff. And I hope that that every teacher in your building understands that like we all see that here as well. And it's really beautiful thing to say. I was originally going to ask if there was anything that anybody didn't get to share, but I I can't imagine that there was much. Um so I just really wanted to say it's important to acknowledge all the amount of work and dedication that all of you and our administrative teams have done. You know, our support staff, everybody that's behind all of these successes. like Michael Joseph was saying that, you know, I was reading that article in the Times and I was like, I I I don't know what these people are talking about cuz we we haven't seen that here. So, and that's a testament to

083you guys. Um, my question is actually not for a specific school or whatever. I wanted to ask Dr. Jones um and Mr. do that maybe for next year I would really love to have the opportunity to also hear from our other two schools and programs Windows and Community Connections because we don't often get to hear um about those programs and I think um Ralph's comments about moving our graduation rate up to 98% has a lot to do with you know some of the work that's being done at those schools and you know I don't want to forget those students that that have extra supports there and I love to be able to hear about those things as well. um they have points of incredible pride at those schools, too. So, I think our community would

084love to be able to to hear about those, too. So, >> yeah, thank you for that. >> Thank you, >> Sophie. I see you see you online there. >> Oh, thank you. Um yeah, thank you so much everybody. Um this is just really amazing work. Um I had a question kind of two questions that relate to one another. I'm so glad that everyone is sharing best practices and it was interesting to hear so many principles talk about working with their colleagues at other schools. Um so one question I have in terms of data collection because so many people reference that. Um, is there sort of any kind of shared norm of how we are collecting data across elementary or middle schools or like are people talking about how they're using that? Because I've just I've

085heard so many principles reference like we're looking at it, you know, to see where we need to drill down and how we can support kids. Are are you talking across schools about that? So that's my first question. And then sort of related to that was specifically with Hamilton Avenue when you referenced um so I'm looking at my notes uh the peer-to-peer partnerships. I would love to hear a little bit more about that because I I just love the idea of um working across schools to support all of our kids. >> Well, well, I think you might have heard some people reference and I guess it's a fair characterization. I might be a little bit of a taskmaster and I hold this group behind me pretty accountable, but the fact of the matter is we have

086a good time when we're together and we're working on things that we know will benefit students. Um, you hear the words data tracker and you probably saw it in almost every slide. Consistency and uniformity. I've never felt like those were bad words and I think the sharing that happens between schools is pretty fair and consistent and uh continuous. Um, so much so uh that they have trackers for all sorts of things. Sophie, for example, and I don't know if they even know this, but I've stumbled upon the fact that they track where I am and they notify each other that that I'm out in buildings so that perhaps maybe the next school's getting ready for me. Um, they track everything. Uh, it it's a good group of people that support each other on a daily

087basis. We come together once a month where we have an incredibly robust agenda and the professional learning for the leaders is as important as the professional learning we provide to our teachers and quite frankly we don't spend nearly enough time investing in the professional learning for our administrators as I would like simply because of the scarcity of time. Um but with what time we do have they maximize that and they do truly collaborate with one another. Now, I think the second question you had was about peer partnerships. Were there schools in specific that you wanted to come to the table because I know this could get a little bit uh clunky bringing people back and forth to the table. >> I think it was it I think this was primarily a question for Hamilton Avenue.

088Um I think is where it came up the most. Um >> but that's where I thought so. Anyway, I'd love to hear more about it. >> Sure. I mean, we we are doing peer-to-peer collaboration, but really it's between all of our schools. So, like I had had mentioned that we realized that our teachers, you know, some good practices that are happening over at some of our our partner schools, we weren't they we weren't sure uh what they were doing. So, we wanted to learn more about that. So, we started off maybe a few years ago with just actually setting teachers up with having some time to go over to a different school, a partner school to observe a peer to look at best practices. And it started sort of naturally when um when um number

089Corner was being implemented at New Lebanon and then we were bringing it in over at Hamilton Avenue School. So we wanted some of our teachers to go over and observe some of that that great work from that. It was so successful that we've really developed some protocols and some uh unpacking of data that we share amongst the schools. And so that's more of a peer-to-peer thing. So um we have um data that we've impacted for some of the chapters for the big ideas math. It's delivered to our some of our teachers. Then our teachers work with their peers on how to sort of look at best practices on how to implement um some strategies for the different chapters. And that's been super successful. And it's been so great that we are actually doing something at

090the very end of the school year where we're setting up our our our um teachers from the four schools in small groups and so they can um kind of talk about cases that they've struggled with and then hear from each other about good practices. So sort of a PLC but like a giant PLC from uh from the four schools. >> Great. Thank you. That's so helpful. And that's um it's good to hear everyone is learning from each other. I love that. Veronica, did I did I see your hand? >> Uh, yes. My hand is up. I'm not sure I can uh put it down lower. Um, first of all, I just want to say thank you so much uh for that presentation and all of your hard work. That was incredible. I am so sorry

091I can't be there tonight, but it is thanks to an incredible Greenwich High School specific um education that I get to watch my sister graduate this morning from WashU in St. Louis. So, I'm here with my family. Um, and so, uh, just to to bring it full circle, um, you guys just touched on something, um, in Sophie's question that I wanted to ask, uh, maybe this is for, um, Mr. Demo or Dr. Jones. Um, when I had the opportunity to visit all of the schools, I was so, um, impressed with every single school, yet I found them all to be so unique and special, um, in so many different ways. Uh, is there ever an opportunity for principles uh to go and see each other? I know obviously the Titans work together, but you know,

092maybe for Julian Curtis to see the elevator at another school um or you know, something like that. Um to, you know, and and and maybe uh take some of the things that we were hearing about um you know, just see them in practice and a little bit deeper and and show them with our own teams. The short answer is yes. It's always powerful to be able to share and view others in their practice. >> Great. Thank you, >> Mr. Chen. >> It just seems like a lot of there's a lot of talk about collaboration and it seems like it's really working well for all the principles and I I think that's amazing. Um, and I was just thinking of uh like Western Middle School is talking about having an extra ma math class which I'm

093sure is probably difficult to implement, you know. um and Glennville doing the the two times of the in NWA testing. I think I got that right. Um if it works in one school, is it then possible or do you guys look to perhaps move it to another school? And again, I know that sounds very easy for me to say in this chair. >> Uh I think you're referencing NWA and and we did intentionally start in our priority schools and and a set number of other schools. uh because although we were quite certain NWA would be our our shift from the current Greenwich benchmark benchmarks to the NWA moving forward, uh we wanted to be 100% certain. So, you know, scalability is is kind of an incredible thing, right? If you start small and if you

094identify problems, you can fix them quickly, but if you scale up too quick, sometimes you can be consumed and it can collapse on you. So we we were really intentional when we designed the priority schools to think about uh outside measures that weren't currently in place. And so the NWA was a perfect way uh for us to layer that into one of their key strategies. But then we thought of having it in a few other schools too. So that this way it really could pass the litmus test. So what you'll hear from us and I think you have the agenda planned for next year on tonight's agenda. Um and it's in September. We're going to talk about our assessment calendar and you'll hear us announce that we plan to move away from the current Greenwich

095benchmark assessments and utilize NWA because we do feel like it's a better assessment not only uh for our administrators to be able to analyze growth potential but also to track year-over-year potential and uh it's a better predictor for SBA performance. >> Well, looking at the numbers, it seems to be working. So, thank you guys. I thank you all as well. Um I literally have a question for each one of you. So um I'm not going to have you answer it. It's the same question. I have an opportunity to ask it. And so maybe it's something that that um you can think about and you know how to get in touch with us if you want to. But if I had an opportunity to ask you each a question, and I do, I'd want to know

096um if you could change one policy or one resource constraint um in your school tomorrow, what would it be and why? Don't need to answer, but that's what's that's what would be on my mind. I don't think you asked me, Paul, but if you don't mind, I'm going to take a shot at I think one of the biggest constraints we have are the four tiered uh start and in and end times at our elementary school in particular, how it impacts our ability to deliver professional development to our teachers and our administrators. Now, I know there's nothing we can do about that. We even tried to just go down to three tiers and we saw uh how cost prohibitive that is. But again, if it it's a pipe dream of mine, if we had every elementary

097school start and end at the same time, the the power in that years ago, years and years ago, uh when I was a a principal, uh and and we had similar start and end times, we would actually each principal was in charge of a grade level or or two principles were in charge of grade level. Me and Betty Berine years ago, principal of North Street School, we'd be in charge of all the kindergarten teachers. And so once a month all the kindergarten teachers would come to North Street School or Glennville school and we would implement the professional learning for that grade level. And it was so incredibly powerful. And um yes, there were times when teachers were in a panic because they were coming all the way from Old Greenwich and they were afraid they

098weren't going to get there in time. And I I I think maybe it might have been sometimes because they had that Starbucks coffee in their hand, but that I don't know. But um you know, it was a powerful learning experience to bring teachers of the same grade level together. Um, teaching can be very isolating and you heard Phil Hammock talk about a strategy he used at ISD and having the teachers visit each other. It is a much more powerful uh and you keep hearing this term PLC. It's the professional learning community model. Mike, you certainly know this. Um, teachers need to see each other in practice because you grow exponentially when you see good practice and when you can talk about good practice. But when you teach in isolation, you miss these opportunities. And so

099in all of our buildings, uh it's important to give teachers those opportunities to open their doors and share their practice with each other. And it's important for the administrators to be in the classrooms to see the good practice and to share that with each other as well. Um so if I was to have my way, I I would love to see us have a more common start and end time. >> Mr. Mark is that I know that that clearly precludes um some PD after school. Is that the same on you have some same challenges on on half days and full and service days because of that? >> Yeah, because then early release days we still have a tiered dismissal. So that the times really do impact us. >> Yeah, >> that could be. Wendy, >>

100I just want to thank you all for being here tonight and um I you really are all just so creative and you're doing such wonderful things at your schools. Um I want to know how you're being able to foster such love of science at North Street and I love the idea of your farm tot Dr. um Newman. Yes, there you are. I mean, I just think there's so many great things going on in our schools. So, thank you all. I don't really have a question, but I love all the collaboration and you're all working together and you can really see that we are making meaningful progress and our test scores. They're all they're going up and you know, I think it's a testament to all of you and all your hard work with our kids.

101So, thank you. >> Karen, >> sorry I realized I had one other question. I have a long history of sitting across from Mark going through, you know, SIP plans. Uh I think Riverside was the one that brought it up as a former PTA president, what can we do to support you? How can we use our funds? What programs can we bring in um to support these SIP goals? And it was getting me thinking um just because I'm no longer president of PTA, I'm sitting on the board and I pretty much have that same question. So, I you know, I've seen SIP plans change yeartoear, the way we do them, the like the focus, the, you know, I've read every single one of your SIP plans over the years repeatedly. Um, so I just wanted to,

102you know, and again, much like Paul was saying, it's not something you guys have to answer now. You know, how to reach us, but it's something I'd like you to walk away and think about is, you know, are the are the SIP plans and our SIP goals, you know, I know we we aren't creating them. you guys are working to create them um amongst yourselves, you know, are are they still meeting your needs? And is there anything else that we as board members really could do to support the growth um and community at your you know, within your schools? I think it's really important for us to know. I mean, we come, we go anytime we're invited, we'll show up to visit. um you know and and it's not for us to sort of monkey

103around uh in all of your programming and things like that, but there are still things that we can do to help support our schools and and individually and and growth and and other metrics. So, just I'd love you guys to think about that and what we can come back to to the table to to do to support you guys even further. Not without not with the PTA dollars. I used to be able to do that, but that's not that's not what I can do now. So, so if I we're thinking about the themes we heard the um I I think so, uh across the schools, right? So obviously there's this theme of inter visitations and seeing practice good common good practices across buildings extended learn excuse me extended learning time was a theme PLC's uh

104datadriven instruction and then common practices um is those kind of the big big things am I missing anything I think those big things okay so I have two two questions I think both of them are rhetorical because I don't think we necessarily need to talk about them tonight but so the one question I think obviously all those are all awesome. They um and and we know how impactful those are. I guess the one uh rhetorical question that I think we might think about as we think about summer PD and set plans next year and where you're going with this is how to make sure um how to you know each of the buildings that these conversations um don't get stale. Um I have been in many buildings where the second the third the fourth year

105of data conversations it's okay we're doing this again you know and here we go again and it's the same oh yep this person needs help finding the main idea um so so how do we um how how do we make sure that those kind those that that doesn't happen we we we keep hold of that and I know you're all very good and know your buildings and can do that but I think that's the the one thing that to think about because that's a natural challenge um of this work over time. And I guess the second challenge I mean is this I think this is a challenges for Mark the u but is to think about um like you were saying the um how can we support all of our collective professional learning. Um, one

106of the things that I've got lots of uh books I'm happy to recommend, but uh the um but seriously the um if um we're only as good as our own learning obviously um and um if there's one thing that um everything we've known from the science of reading has has taught us is that there is much in this in this in our field that we didn't all of us didn't actually learn in teacher school. um and have come to us late. And there are many things that we're um continuing to learn um both new and existing knowledge and how we can support each other so that we can support our colleagues in the classrooms each day with that um is is um can only help support u prevent those that prevent these conversations from becoming

107stale and challenges us all to do our job better. So I think that might be something to think about. I think we're done. Thank you. Um, thanks all for coming, folks. I really appreciate it. >> Yeah, >> you and Lucy are still stuck here. >> New Lebanon wins best socks. actually might have said the other cords easier this way. All right. So, moving moving on. Uh we have uh we had um everybody we know will recall we had a couple of textbook recommendations last meeting. Um there were two more. Both of these are first reads and then we'll um hopefully take some action at our at our next meeting. But we have uh physics that was delayed last time and then human geography uh this evening. >> We'll take humanity first. >> Okay. All right.

108So, so, so, so, um, um, everybody should know, I'll follow my sword, Lucy. Um, everyone should know that I was the, um, board of ed rep to the, um, human geography committee. I was a terrible member of the committee. Um, I did do my homework and I recommend uh, and I have no reservations with um, with the recommendation that um, the committee came up with that you hear tonight. >> So, go ahead. Good evening. I'm Lucia Reco, the social studies program administrator, and I'm here tonight to present our recommendation for the adoption of a textbook for the new advanced placement human geography course, which will be offered at GHS starting in the fall of 2026. The selection process was conducted by a comprehensive committee of 10 stakeholders including myself, the board chairman, two veteran social

109studies teachers, two parents, and four students. After a thorough review of three possible texts, our committee strongly recommends the adoption of human geography for the AP course. This textbook was the clear choice, scoring highest in 13 of the 18 criteria reviewed, including the overall text rating. Please let me know if you have any questions. >> Thank you, Lucy. >> Thank you. >> Physics. Oh wow, I do have since I know this is a new course and I don't know if you have this information. Um I don't know you know how many students have obviously you know because you've had to do start to look signups for next year uh shown interest or signups have any of them had the opportunity to like did any of those students that were interested look at the textbooks? I

110was just curious. >> I do believe at least a couple of the four students on the committee have signed up for the course. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thanks. Good job. >> Did you Who invited you? >> You know back there. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> Good even good evening everyone. Um my name is Sean Hoy. I'm the science program administrator at Gret High School and I'm uh here with Miss Farnum who will uh who led this committee. Um very and she did a wonderful job. So I'm going to let her take it over for right now and if I need to fill in anything I will. >> Hi, thank you everyone. Um I'm excited to be here tonight in person for uh part two of our uh tour through our NGSS curriculum books. Um

111the reason physics was held from that first um day is because well one in part our NGSS standards are now only 12 years old and the textbook companies were particularly late to the party and so we've recently gotten NGSS aligned books and this is a 2026 book that arrived the day the decision was being made for our committee and um it arrived in our one of my colleagues mailboxes that day and he came running down to our committee saying, "Wait, we need to look at this one because you could just see from the picture how striking these photos are." Um, so we're going to start with onle physics in the book um that we ultimately decided to go with um because of the phenomena. So, a little bit about our on level physics students. Um,

112physics is a little different than our first two where we had biology and chemistry and we have an honors version and an onle version. With physics, our um, some of our honors track students at the time, maybe they took honors chemistry, they move on to taking AP. So, we have um, AP physics C, we have AP1, um, we have AP2 that our students don't often take. Um, but then we have honors physics and on level physics. with our onle physics. We want to get them excited and college ready um to do math in science and school. So what we loved about this book is really the amazing National Geographic photos um and the phenomena. So it's the phenomena that captivates students attention and this book does an incredible job by using um I think a

113lot of animal um images. So, there's a woodpecker in here that's tongue goes all the way back to the back of their skull, which is a perfect way to introduce our car crash unit. Um, and why we need to design airbags, right? Because, and the reason that they did develop that tongue is because of the force that they have um pecking at the tree. Now, that is not in a typical physics textbook, but those stories um are woven within this book. So, we think this book is the best way to get our kids excited about um learning physics, about learning to do math in science to really apply our algebra and algebra 2 skills um to the course. So, um our committee ultimately went back and forth on the books. We had very uh serious

114discussions about all of the advantages and disadvantages of both books, and there were many in both of the books that we chose. Um but ultimately we thought it was the um the gripping photos, the explorer stories, the National Geographic explorers come in throughout this book. You you'll meet the team who put Perseverance on Mars. Um and we just think that's going to be a great way to enrich our inquiry based um curriculum as a supplemental text to draw our students to our classes. Um our honors choice, we did decide to stick with the recommendation of Open Sachs. We thought that was a rigorous text that also prepared them to move on to um whether it's AP physics or onto college level um physics um in university. So um that's >> so I I will just

115add one thing for the open stack. So one of the primary um requests from our teachers was to find an online platform that uh was able to give pro different problem sets and uh more experiences uh for our our students. And so we had thought we had found one. Um but at the time we we uh shortly after found that that uh resource was not available. Um, and so I made a couple phone calls to some uh some colleagues at uh other districts and uh was able to um identify a program through the University of Austin in Texas um which Westport Public Schools uses um as a platform that is very similar to Web Assign which was the platform that we were looking at um originally and um and it and uh so um you

116know when I I shared that with our physics teachers for uh and which could be used for literally all of our courses uh for science if we wanted to. Um they were very excited to to see a lot of the the the problems and they were like this this is going to be amazing. So um we also were able to find a problem set um uh platform for our our physics teachers as well. Uh just just a couple of comments. One um for those of you who are reading the doc, I think we have a I think we have a copy paste error in the in the on level. It says it's a digital first. Uh this is absolutely a physical book with gorgeous photos. Uh so I think that's just that was left over

117from open text. And I did just want to share uh on open text which we've chosen for all we've recommended for all three um honors level uh courses. I came in as a skeptic. It was the cheapest option. And so I I came in thinking you get what you pay for and and subsequently learned that the reason it was so inexpensive is because it is a nonprofit where professors have written these texts. It is it is by far the the most rigorous college level course. Um but I I know we you know we had talked we've talked a lot um at various board meetings about concerns over screen time outcomes related to physical books. I know there is a print ondemand you you've written in here of there's a print on demand option with open

118text. There is also a buy the books at the cost of printing them option and I think it was only 50 or 60 bucks a book. Um, and I wanted to highly recommend that we do have some physical books as well as print on demand. >> Yeah, that was that was always uh especially for our um National Geographic book um where you know with the online platform there's a lot of clicking that has to happen. We we we certainly recommend the um online book where it's less clicking and you're able to go and see um how to do all the math work and things like that a little bit easier by using the textbook, but also um having books available for our um for our honors uh physics books. Um that was always in the

119plan to purchase uh some physical copies as well. >> Okay, good. I think you'll find that the propensity among the honors students to use the books is probably high. Thank you. >> I just I just want to know what page that photo is on. And >> well, we are going to come to the high school to read that whole section cuz I'm fascinated. >> Yeah. You you don't you don't >> want to know how it relates to airbags. >> Yeah. >> One saved my life. >> We will we will leave the copies for you guys. Um the only request for my physics teacher, she loves the book so much. She's like, "Please don't let them keep it." So I I would just have to request that you know maybe by the end of the year

120we get it back. [laughter] Oh, >> I can just come read it in your office for like you know short period of time if you prefer that too. But anyway and much like Karen was saying I've been on up until this year every single textbook committee and same thing I remember when we were talking about open uh open tax stacks and I was just open stacks and I was just like and when we did the deep dive it was amazing. It's amazing what what those include and the high level of people that are working to create the information um in those in the you know open uh stacks. So it's it's by no means just because it's yes you know inexpensive that it's not a good option. >> Thank you. >> I just wanted to

121say thank you. You seem so passionate and I'm so happy that our kids have such a great textbook coming to them in the fall. >> Thank you. >> Do you guys want us to support you? We'd be more than happy to. Okay. So, so, >> so up next on the agenda is the board goals. Um, last year's board goals or the current year's goal goes the, um, the ones we had this year. Um, this is the I think this is the second year. I remember doing this like this last year. Um, and um, I thought it was productive. >> Last year was our second year with those. You and I drafted them initially and then last year we just we revised stuff. No, no, but I know you're saying I think this the the way

122we're going to do this uh the process of reflecting on it is what I mean. I think that yeah they >> um so clarify here um if anybody's still watching um so there is um there are board goals, there are superintendent goals and then there are strategic plan goals. Um so why so many goals, right? So they all mean something different. Um um in a nutshell, the strategic plan um um drives um the work of the district and particularly the work of um the academic work but you know and then our goals over the course of five years. the superintendent is how she sees her role, the goals she's um shaped her role in a year-by-year basis, not a five-year basis, but year-by-year basis around supporting uh strategic plan and other district initiatives. Board goals

123are about us and the eight of us on the board and what we uh would like to do over the next year um as eight members. So when we set these this time last year, we knew that we were going to have some new board members. Um so we set these in a way uh we made these goals for our new members too. Um knowing that they were going to come on board midyear um and what we did last year and what I was kind of hoping we would do again if everyone will humor me um is kind of walk through one by one and and have a little bit of an honest reflection whoever wants to appine here as we go through each goal. on what we did well, what we didn't do well.

124Um, I can see from the looking at it myself, there are some things, you know, I think we we we we we did and there are some things that, um, we still have some work to do on and that's okay. The board goals are ambitious, but this conversation will then shape the board goals that we'll draft for next year. Um, that again, like Karen was saying, is a collaborative process. And then um o over the next month as we u develop what we want to do over the next year um um similar format but probably will will change based on what we say tonight and what we want to do over the next year. Yes. Any questions about that? >> Yes. Go ahead. >> Sorry. Just to clarify, is this right now we're looking back

125against these goals or are we talking about setting new goals too? So right now we're looking back against these goals, but that will help inform. We have naturally informed >> in two weeks. >> In two two weeks, um we'll we'll have a first read and then and then we probably won't adapt them then until the the following meeting. >> Yep. Okay. >> Well, I was just, you know, I had reviewed them also and I I think we did a a good job of >> Hold on. We go one by one. >> Oh, I'm sorry. I I'm sorry. I thought that you were just asking for feedback on what we did. >> Okay. Oh, yeah. That's all right. Go, go ahead. Yeah, because we're going to go one by one, but please feel free to Okay.

126Okay. Okay. Everybody good? Okay, then. So, let's go. The um Would you mind? Is it um is Michael? Michael back there. >> Oh, hi, Sophie. I can't see the your your things in the the you can't see the your hand in the glare there. Go ahead. >> Oh, no. I just I thought we were starting with the first goal. I was going to say something. Are we starting with student learning and achievement? >> Yes, we are. Michael, would it be possible? Michael, would it be possible to put the um um the board goal document on the screen so people can see it as we're uh talking through? >> So, that was where my comment was as well. So, when when we're ready for feedback, let me know. >> Okay. So, the first goal is student

127learning and achievement. Um um which is um is striving to create a positive learning environment. And if you go to the we will do this by um we set uh three bullets there. Uh evaluating board presentations according to the metrics, evaluating class size at all guide level grade levels and then evaluating the administrative structure of GHS. Uh but go ahead Sophie. >> Well, I guess I was the third bullet we I don't think we've really focused on. That's what I was going to say. The evaluating administrative structure of GHS against other alternative high school models. That was something that we talked about a lot last year and I think you know maybe we want to continue to talk about it because I don't think we ultimately made much headway on that that was a conversation

128for um just for everyone to understand it was we were talking about the house model and we started looking more at the guidance counselor model and sort of just having a discussion about is it does the GR high school model make the most sense and support our students And I think we were going to explore that more and I don't think we really have. So I would be in favor of leaving that on there and and focusing on it next year, but I don't think we really did the work this year that we thought we were going to do. >> Dr. There were some um schedule changes as far as approaches scheduling of the high school that that that that's something you're working on. >> I think there are some scheduling changes there. Yeah. I

129mean, so I don't know. Maybe maybe other people feel differently. I thought it was more about talking about the um house structure. That was something that we had talked about last year. Maybe maybe I'm misunderstanding the way that >> No, no, no. I wasn't meaning to I wasn't meaning to contradict you here. No, I think I think you're absolutely right, Sophie. The um I think there were some uh there were definitely some things particularly around the house model and structure that we um were thinking about uh taking a closer look at. Um but there were some things that did happen. >> Yeah, absolutely. We're doing a lot of work and a lot of work with the schedule. Um it automated for the first time this year. Um and you know give Dana a lot of

130credit. She's doing a lot of the work behind the scenes for the high school. Um they're going the next level. Um this year I'm actually meeting with her. Um we've had a couple meetings. We meet again on Monday where we literally are going through um somebody asked about like the pre-enrollment. That's where we are right now looking at all the pre-enrollments. um and really making sure that we're able to have a really good grip on the schedule, you know, much quicker than what you can when you're doing it all by hand. Um so, a lot of exciting work going on there. If you remember last year, and I think that's what Sophie's referencing as well. We have a consistency regulation that we worked on. We'll be reviewing that again over the summer. We also had

131a high school grid um responsibilities so that they went in and looked at what is each house administrator actually responsible for who's leading for instance on AP testing you know who is who is the administrator that's leading on certain aspects of the high school and that's been very helpful um as well and we're going to continue that work. So, sorry. I was going to say I I thought we did a great job this year. Um, and as did the administration and making sure that all of the presentations that we saw were very focused on strategic goals. Um, where we are, how we got there, what they're looking towards next. I mean, tonight's presentation was a perfect example of that. they were all talking about what they didn't the growth that they didn't have or or

132areas that they wanted to bulk up and the work that they did this year to to show that that's where their focus I think that's fantastic. Um I was going to say much like Sophie we had added last year about evaluating class size staffing models and changes to start time and what impact it may have on academic achievement and growth. Obviously we were forward thinking with that because we wouldn't have had the data yet to really be able to to focus on that. So, I'm also thinking we should leave that on for next year. Um, you know, when this the data is coming in in the, you know, in the fall, we'll have a some idea. I mean, just some of these points of pride that we saw, we've seen a lot of, you know,

133growth over the year. Um, but I I think that'll be really important for us. And I think leaving that on, uh, we, like I said, we were forward thinking with that, knowing that we weren't going to be able to to do all of that this year. And I'll just add that's part of automating as well. Um in the system like we would have a class that could be set at a seat count of 28. Now maybe you could fit 28 students in a class. But that's really not what we want. We we at the high school it should be 24 uh which is the way it matches what's actually in the teacher contract. Then if we have three or four extra students we have to talk about that. What does that look like? Just like

134we do in elementary. And we haven't done as much of that. We are totally on top of that now. Dana has updated all the seat counts for high school. Um and just as a reminder on the um staffing model, um Stacy Holly Gintoner is has a presentation coming. We only have two more meetings where she'll walk you through the staffing formula because that's something the board really wanted to know. So I think you're making great progress on some of those pieces. Um and on that last bullet, I do want to mention this actually came up um at PEC um the executive board this week and you know we had sent a letter out just about some of the student behaviors at GH GHS and you know we talked at at this PEC meeting about how

135it can be difficult when you have let's say sophomores and you have four students they're all kind of having the same mischief in order to deal with those four students you have to you may have to go to four different houses and have four different people dealing with it. Is there a better structure? And again, we're just we're continuing the conversation. Should we have an house administrator, not throw out the house system, which I think is what threw the conversation off a little bit last year, but should we have an administrator that's over the freshman? So, we really know that they know every single freshman coming in. They're over the freshman orientation. there and we did that a little bit on the responsibility grid but I think we can probably go a little bit deeper.

136Uh just just to touch upon one other point and I I know that uh you know guys you had sent out some information to uh parents about some changes um and that's also what I want you know obviously we're not going to talk about this tonight but when we were talking about staffing models and the changes at our schools I know that there's um I don't know I'll call it a dosey do if you will uh of some of the staff moving from one school to another for next year. Um I'd like to have a deeper discussion on that just you know to see if that you know some of those teams that are built and and the support for those students if we're you know moving someone uh for the right reasons or versus

137you know you know we know that a lot of these students that walk in the door that's their support person. So I you just it's not for tonight. I just was thinking about it when we were looking at this and I saw the uh the the the letter you had sent out. >> Anything else on goal number one? Okay. So, goal um um and um Sophie Veronica, you're now um little tiny squares in the corner of the screen up there. So, if we don't call So, so so so so try to interrupt us if I don't if I don't call on you because I'm I'm not not doing on purpose. >> Thank you, Mark. >> You're welcome. Um so, the second goal is student support, health, and safety. uh continuing to prioritize uh support resources

138necessary to support the physical, mental, and social emotional health of our students. Uh we're going to do this by continuing to support community conversations around screen time, cell phone use, and other stressors. Um and then monitoring changes to the high school schedule, particularly as it relates to start time, flex block and end or morning and after school supports. >> Oh, I was going to say I thought we did a great job. I know we added gr the because last year we went over the Greenwich together survey. Um we really haven't gone back and reviewed that. So I don't know if we want to leave that in for next year because again that's they do that they get a grant and they are working uh with our schools and things like that on some of those

139uh topics. So I don't know if we want to leave that in or not but I know we're we were focused on stressors and other things but just not on that particular point. I know Paul, I know you um um um you your your committee um been talking about about about screen time and whatnot and you had the forum last month. >> You have to press the button. Sorry. So yes, I think uh we are um making progress in that area just with the fact that we are you know we have the ad hoc committee set up and we're looking at these um objectives. >> So can I go so I don't >> you go first. Yeah >> sure. No, mine's just backs up on Paul's. I think that um Paul is doing a great

140job getting us started on the ad hoc curriculum committee and some of our goals and that meeting we had um a few weeks ago with Martiko and so many others was really incredible. But I do think that we uh don't want to lose focus on that um with some of the new research uh and just just just not some of all the new research but everything that's coming out around um self um technology in schools its importance its significance and its roles and just continuing that conversation. So, I really want to make sure that we keep this on as something for next year. Um, if possible that we continue our work. >> Yeah. So, I was just going to talk about the high school in particular because I know um, you know, we instituted kind

141of like well, we didn't do bell to bell. Instead, we had the whatever the hanging shoe holders in the classrooms this year. I and I think that it I think it was helpful. I mean I think that's what we've heard from the students and from the teachers that that's better than what it was before. Um I'm sort of frankly I'm disappointed because I think we held off on doing something more because we thought the state was going to do something. So it didn't make sense for us to implement greater restrictions if the state was going to come in and do their own thing. And since the state, you know, ultimately ended up not doing that as of last week. I would like to talk more about this the phones at the in the high school

142um because I do think that they're a tremendous source of stress and anxiety um for the students and distraction um and definitely continue to hear that from the teachers that it's hugely distracting to the students and and I have to say and I'm guilty of it too so um but you know parents texting their kids throughout the day. And what I hear from a lot of teachers is that they're like, why are you on your phone? And they're like, well, my mom is texting me, so I'm answering my mom, right? And probably the mom is like, you know, you forgot your cleats or something. But I would like to figure out a way that the phones are not interrupting the classes as much as I think that they still are. So, I hope that we

143can keep that on there and particularly with the high school because I think I think it's been really effective K through eight of sort of the belltobell restrictions, but at the high school, we're really different than many of the other high schools in Connecticut right now um in what we allow. And I understand it's because we're a big high school um and it's challenging, but I I would love to keep that conversation going. >> There might be some dads out there that text their kids, too. I allegedly [laughter] >> not naming any names. Are you Bob? >> So, >> right. So, I'll be I'll I'll be I'll be bluntter because, you know, I'm I'm not up for election. The uh the um um the state chickened out um and are cowards. Um they should have

144passed it like 33 other states uh already have. Um the um I think I I'd love to see us as a board consider um how we um we've institutionalized um cell phones at the high school because there are you know the cell phone use and then there's um that um ways that you have to have it. There's certain reason pl way there's certain things times in school that you almost have to have it for and so I think that might be something we need to talk about. Um the um um and I can also say because um I can say this more bluntter than um the high school administration can but parents should please please refrain from texting your child during the school day. Um emergencies happen but um none of us had cell phones

145in schools and we survived. Um please try to refrain from the temptation. Uh thank you. All right. Um, >> or at least put it on do not disturb so it doesn't disturb the classroom. >> Um, anything else on number two? All right. So, we'll move to budget over budget fiscal oversight. Number three, the um maintain fiscal accountability and sound management practices. So, the um we will I actually think we did um this might be our most successful this in facilities. Uh we will do this by uh proactively support the development of the fiscal year 2027 school budget to ensure the viability of district programming and find possible efficiencies and then negotiate a GA contract that allows for increased teacher collaboration and development while maintaining a sound fiscal footing. I think we can remove the GA

146negotiations, but I would say >> yeah, we did it this year. Um, we might want to add something in regards to transportation. Obviously, we have to add GOSA, but also transportation somewhere in there. I I don't know exactly how it would phrase it, but you know, in regards to parking and so forth, >> it's not up to sir. I think we I mean I agree we could probably say something about how that is one of the biggest stressors of the budget and they're going to focus on it right how to solve board in future years. >> Yeah. >> Any other any other questions about um goal three or thoughts or comments on how we did? thoughts or comments? When we are talking about negotiating a GA contract that allows for increased teacher collaboration and development,

147we're saying we checked that box. We got that done. We But let me just I'm going to answer my own qu. We It was a horrible contract. We We probably have less teachers employed because of the uh the the negotiation and the the increase in in salaries. I think it it was um unproductive. >> Uh well, my my two observations on the GA contract. One, I was curious what changed that allowed for increased teacher collaboration. Um and my other observation, and look, I was elected after this was was already done and dusted. Uh, but I did notice that the most significant raises went to the most tenured teachers and and I thought the intent was of having the highest compensation of teachers in the state was to attract teachers to our district. Um, but it

148it it seems like we're rewarding the ones who've been here a long time and and not necessarily uh increasing the lower end to increase to to draw new teachers to the district. it just seemed contrary to what the stated goal was. >> Just as a reminder though, any of the stuff that was discussed in negotiations is is protect, you know, especially with HR, it's protected because it was part of the, you know, not not the contract, but the discussions were >> I I can speak to that just to clarify something about um just the GA contract. when you're on the top step, you you're not getting a step anymore, you know? So, you don't you don't everybody else is getting increases from one step to the next plus a pay adjustment. And when you're at

149the top step, you're only getting whatever that percentage is. You no longer going up steps. So, it's easier. I mean, if I had the graph, it could show it to you, Karen. But they're not actually getting a bigger they're not getting a bigger wage increase overall compared to the teachers at other steps because they're no longer getting a step. >> Do you see what I'm saying? >> Right. Well, and I and I do know actually the um um because we looked at that the um um basically at every just about every step in the contract um where we're we're still the the highest in Connecticut, not just at the top, >> including at the entry level. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> I saw you. Yeah. >> Um yeah, I hear you Paul on the teacher

150collaboration. I think the the examples tonight show that there there is certainly a high level of collaboration. Um but I do believe you're you're you're accurate in that we did not achieve um um contract language change around um creating more meeting time. Right. >> It's not in the contract language but we did some of it in just um working with GA in general. Mike, would this remain a would this remain a goal given that we don't have a G contract for another two years? >> Um, no. So, so and um we don't have any contract up this year. Um, I think I heard some suggestions to instead maybe consider um how we want to approach transportation challenges um maybe in this category here. Um I know that was at 8 went up 18% I think

151in our budget. So obviously >> I think we start we do start Leyona I think. Um don't we start in the spring Tony? Am I wrong? >> Are we doing Launa in the spring? >> I am not I'm not sure of the timing and I'm sorry I don't think anybody's online that knows when the next contract. >> That's okay. I feel like maybe it may be. I don't I mean >> I knew something was coming up. I just >> Yeah, I feel like it may be. I'll dump book. >> We're gonna double check. >> All right. So, moving on to goal number four, facilities. Um, and enhance and maintain district facilities to support innovative teaching and learning. We will do this by liaison with all building committees to support keeping the CMS OGC and Riverside

152projects on track and on budget. Compiling best practices for successful building committees and support the transfer of learning from one project to the next and interfacing with the community and other parts of town government to build consensus around the future of the Havermeer building. >> We got an elevator >> apparently. Uh, well, I think we had to add incremental funds for both Old Greenwich and CMS, >> but that is somewhat of a normal thing to do for contingency plans and building committees. >> I'm sorry. It's normal to blow through our contingency budget and need more contingency. >> Well, I just want to This is just I'm new to this. >> No, I I do understand that. Yeah. No, it's it's it's it's important to add to the contingency plan as necessary when it's when it's

153needed. >> We can we can do a 101 101 of building committees if you want offline. >> Well, and and the um so let's work backwards here because I do know that we are working on the second bullet compiling best practices uh for successful building committees. It's something um that we have now had a lot of experience with the um I also know that some of the um um need for uh as we talked about last time is some some of the a lot of the need for more funding was for unforeseen fire um regulations. I one of the things I think with the first bullet that maybe as a board um we might do do be able to do better on is seeing those things down the pike. I think some of that was

154like some of us were surprised by um CMS. I think that had to do with the transition. You weren't on the board committee when you weren't there when it came up because it was in October, November. Yeah. Mhm. All right. Um so so being um um us I can speak this as a building rep too the um um but that's probably something that um none of us like surprises so when we know that um uh contingencies are foot like I know that um OG for example dipped into its contingency for the first time um on Tuesday um I was planning on putting that in the you know in my report next week it's $14 $14,000 so we It's okay. They u and legitimate. Um a contractor lost their um certificate, so we had to get

155a new contractor. Um but um um I I I suspect as a board that might be something that um we might look at look at so that we don't have those surprises. >> No, absolutely. I I I don't I don't actually see it as a surprise because the the chair came last month when we knew that that's what that the money needed to be taken out at that time. So that's not it's the the building committee was doing everything that they needed to be doing at the time they needed to be doing it. There were unforeseen circumstances outside of the building committee that that affected that. Also, if I could just >> I think we're just wanting to not have a huge million like millions of dollars surprise. So, we could try to avoid that.

156That would be great. >> I like a million dollar surprise as in, you know, when they say, "Sorry, we don't need this extra million. We're giving it back." >> Go ahead. >> A good one. No, I was just going to add that um also, you know, Julian Curtis has had to engage town legal um with trying to complete phase one and phase two and um so that's not going as smoothly either. It has not actually required any extra money or anything that we've had to ask for. Um, but I think that when you're dealing with building committees and um, it is unbelievably complicated and there's an incredible amount of unforeseen issues that appear whether it's it is on behalf of the building committee or whether it's on behalf of the contractor or the owner's rep

157or the architect. And so there's a lot of players involved and I don't think that any that it all falls always on the board of education >> as the sole person that was responsible. Paul, I do think this may speak to you said we're going to try to get together and work on best practices for building committees. um because I it it feels like we're not we're not um estimating these jobs appropriately because contingencies are are are baked in and they're national numbers and you know for a new building a contingency is um uh on average about 5%. when you get to 6% you you should start worrying about that particular contractor and that particular bid in in the construction world uh for um uh rebuilds contingencies are are a little higher and we did

158see one of our building committees come to us um uh in the earlier stages and increase their contingency because they had miscalculated it based on a a new build and came back and said look we made a mistake. This is a uh this is a rebuild. Rebuild contingencies are higher, but they're they are established numbers, and those numbers are established to keep in line uh um estimate practices. There's an entire um industry that estimates jobs and keeps track of of lumber on a day. that that's why contingencies lay within particular windows. And it seems to me like we've we may have fallen out of that window in one or more places and um the fix to that should be better estimating. Now I realize these are volunteer boards and I applaud everyone that's there and

159that are doing their best. Um, but I think that's I just wanted to bake this into the conversation so we all understand that that contingencies are are are n are are industry set rates. Um, and and we should be doing our best to to um uh run in the same you know excellence as that and that's it. I >> I might I know this isn't uh board related. I was going to say for those who haven't been on board uh on a building committees maybe that's a topic for another uh you know board retreat at some point like going over the the >> goal number five >> I don't know the topic >> you wanted to add something um before we go there. >> Yeah just to just to add I mean we do have

160a lot of projects going on uh more now than we've had really since about the 1950s. One of the changes that we've made in the last I want to say the last two maybe even three projects we now have a professional cost estimator that is happening at feasibility. Some of these projects that you're looking at did not have that in feasibility. So the number that got plugged in was an architectural estimate of where they thought the project would fall. Now we've brought that forward and part of that was working with the BET who was wanting us to do that and move in that direction. So, we are doing that. And if you look at probably the newest project we're working on right now, like uh the pool project, which doesn't show up on here yet,

161there's a professional cost estimator actually working on those numbers. >> Uh, wow. Thank you. I didn't want to I didn't want to say that cuz I, you know, I didn't want to tell these committees how to do it. I'm not there, you know, sun the Monday morning quarterbacking or anything, but yeah, that that's huge. I'm so happy to hear that and I think that's going to make a big difference um going forward. Um and and what you're saying is we we've got uh a professional supporting our our our our you know our volunteers who are doing really great work and and they deserve that support. >> And to Dr. Jones's point, when we think about this for next year, it's conceivable we probably want to have a a GHS pool bullet here or GHS campus

162bullet. Okay. Uh so moving on. So speaking of uh to Cameron's point about uh board professional development education which um I think traditionally is our um least successful goal and I think we've managed to um maintain that tradition this year. Um so uh participate in all professional development and other educational opportunities um as per policy. So we committed this to evaluating and strengthening our policies and procedures for board self-evaluation including a meteor evaluation in January each year. Um we did not do that um but um hope springs eternal we are having those conversations communicating and sharing best practices more frequently with other boards of education across the region someday. um attending all board meetings in person in so far as possible. Review relevant information and become informed concerning the issues to be considered at these

163meetings and then achieve 100% participation at at least one board training scheduled in the coming year. Um comments? >> I have a comment. I think you just touched the third rail. So, you know, I'm sorry, but forgive me. I might be wrong, but I recall this coming up last year, and I think this was a deliberate um attempt at calling one of my uh board members who's still here out um on a position that was taken uh and then it was immediately followed up in um in in in blog type pressing to to attack that particular individual. So, um it's appropo. It's in red. Other thoughts? >> We did have our special education um training this year. Um we did bring that back. So, okay. Any thoughts as far as Karen made one the um

164any other thoughts about um professional development that we want to um consider for ourselves in the coming year? Mike, are there any examples of other uh professional developments that maybe other boards do or like >> I wouldn't even know where to begin. >> So, I think one thing that this board hasn't hasn't done in the last couple of years is attend the uh conference that is a joint between CAB and CAPS that happens every November. And you know, in the past board members may go one day, some would go two. Um, but the level of professional development and options to see what other districts are doing, listen to the legal updates, it's a really good conference. And so if you can work it out with your schedules, I would encourage you to think about attending

165that uh conference. It's usually up around Mystic um at least one or two days. Yeah, I was going to say I've gone. It's it's exceptional. There's, you know, tons of different topics you can pick and choose uh whatever you want to go learn about. And it's it's actually It was a nice opportunity. We got to meet a lot of board members from all over the state. Um talk about CAB's goals for the year and what they wanted to uh you know do on the hill um as well uh and advocate for. It's a it's a great thing. But also CAB offers online trainings as well. I've done a ton of them. Um so you just can check their website and they often you know you can sign up. They're free uh typically and you know

166you get hours and credits for be able to do them but you know again they even have some past ones posted. So >> thank you. That's really helpful. Yeah, I think as we think about professional development there, we've talked about CABE, which is education specific, but I think there may be an opportunity to talk more broadly about what good corporate governance looks like, how per, you know, effective nonprofit boards and for-profit boards work and where we can bring in uh best practices. I think the majority of the folks who who serve on our board and and most boards of education don't have other board experience. And so I think bringing in some a little more clarity on what does good governance look like and what we should be aspiring to would be helpful. >> We've

167done a bunch of we've done a bunch of that stuff in the past as well and I could probably point you to there was one I was I sat in here in the audience was before I was on the board and they had uh people going through all of that. I remember all the sticky notes that were moved around and stuff like that. So, I'm happy to go back and look at my notes and find the date for you also if you want to review that board meeting that they had it. >> I've actually got board experience. I I thought it would be more beneficial for the new group that that >> Oh, yeah. No, I I just was pointing out >> number five. Okay, number six then uh for the land of plane here

168uh board district and community engagement advocacy. Uh we're committed to improving community support of the district by promoting its positive attributes, maintaining open lines of communication and encouraging parent and community member involvement. We'll do this by supporting the onboarding of members beginning new terms this November and identifying enshrining in board policy best practices for the board to implement i.e. mid-year review of board goals, certain academic outbaits, evaluations, etc. Um, I can tell you as the board uh the policy chair, uh, number two remains aspirational. Um, it's something we're working towards. Um, we've we've we've we do have a policy coming coming forward next uh next meeting on first chair. Um, but um, I'd be keen on continuing continu continuing to look at that in the new year, the second bullet. But other thoughts? there comments

169on the on how we did on the board goals um overall. >> Thank you, Mark. I was going to say there there were certain you know there were certain goals that we did not get get to but I was going to say I think overall we kept our eye on the ball which was the most important things that we did were data you know looking at the data looking at the growth metrics for our students keeping our eye on the budget moving forward all of our you know facility projects because as we've all said it's the the largest number we've had ever at one time and they're all moving forward at you know a good pace. Um, so I was going to say, I mean, as far as board goals go, you know. Okay. So,

170um, we will, uh, Sophie and I will take this, uh, uh, feedback back, uh, all this feedback and, um, reflection, um, and we'll use that to try to draft, um, um, f a rough draft of 2027 board goals. Um, and we'll bring that out as a first read next time. Moving on. Oh, ALP honors al honors and ALP presentation. Dr. Jones, this is this is all you I'm sorry. Why is this just a hard copy? >> No. >> Okay. Okay. So, the public will be able to see it. >> Oh, okay. I just wanted to make sure it was available to the public as well. If I'm just a little >> Thank you. I don't have to hold it right. >> Yeah, you can just stop. >> Yeah. So glad it's right here where I

171can see it. I'm kind of blind. Okay, I'm going to go ahead and start. Um, this is the first time that we've had this topic actually on the agenda, which was a request. It was an ad to the agenda uh plan this year and it is a big topic. So I I've kept us to about 40 slides. So, I will try not to uh go too long, but it does cover elementary, middle, and high school just with these three topics. So, we're looking at AP, honors, and ALP. I'm not clipping one more time. I could do it from here if I need to. >> Okay. See? Okay. All right. I want to start just a little bit and talk about the history of AP because I think it's it's an important to understand. Um AP

172began back in 1956. It's actually a lot older than most people think. Started with 10 courses. Um now AP has 42 courses as of this year. At GHS we are offering 32 courses, the ones that we feel like are relevant for our high school. Um, you have already approved two more new courses for next year, which you heard about one of the books tonight. When you look at the College Board mission, and this comes straight from their website, and I'm going to read it exactly as as it is because I think it's really important to what is AP really to make AP participation reflect the full diversity of the student population, not just a small traditionally high-erforming group. And I think that's really important. It is for all students and their mission is to expand

173access to advanced placement to remove gatekeeping and have more open enrollment for students to support uh participation for high need students for subgroups financial access making sure students aren't avoiding an AP test because they can't afford to pay for it. Um, and then teacher training, expanding knowledge of how to reach and teach all students. When you look at the mission of the state of Connecticut, it doesn't differ a great deal from the College Board. Um, we are required in Connecticut, the law requires that every local or regional school district provide an AP program. So, it's not even optional in Connecticut. And they must have college level coursework opportunities for all of our high school students. And again, in the state of Connecticut, they expect us to have equitable access for every student, not just a

174few. And again, this is coming from CST's language. Um, gateway to college. They see that AP tests really do open the doors for all students to be able to go to college. And accountability in the state of Connecticut, AP participation and success is tied to our state accountability. um all of those uh slides you looked at earlier tonight, this is a component for our high school. They also have a AP potential campaign and over the last um since 2014, uh they have sent out tens of thousands of letters. They do it every year. Those of you that have a high schooler could have received a letter in the mail at some point in time encouraging students to actually enroll in AP. And this is a big focus for Connecticut. When we look at GHS, this

175is not a new slide, but because it's relevant tonight talking about AP, we have seen um a remarkable 35% increase from 2021 in the number of exams that our students are taking and also the number of students who are participating and taking the exams, which is pretty exciting um for GHS and especially if you think over the last like two and three years, our enrollment is actually down slightly. So, it makes that even more powerful. When you look at our data going back to 2021, what you'll see is last year in 2025, we had some of the best performance. Again, kind of going along with what you heard earlier tonight, back in 2021, we had about 11% of our students that would make a one or a two. Um, now if you look at last

176year, it was 3%. to have 97% of our kids um make a three to four or five is again and I know Dr. McCarti Anthony recognizes that is a tough thing to do. Um I do want to note that you know pre-calculus which was a we're in our third year uh was a new course and it is uh fastest growing AP course and it is reshaping math and one thing I was so excited about at right before school started is Greenwich High School was featured in education week. That's why Andrew's picture is up there because he's quoted in that article. It also ran in the SD and AC uh DE um ASCD smart brief. So having 216 exams with a 4.9 average, the highest you can get a five. So again, when when we show

177this slide or I'm presenting somewhere or on a podcast, people find this hard to believe. It truly truly is a phenomenal result. So when you look at our diverse community of students um they graduate and attend community college, private, public and Ivy League schools. And again when we talk about all students, we are a school system who values every student in every pathway. Um, scholarship opportunities are available for those students again who need that assistance for testing. And students who earn AP scores of three, four, or five to gain college credit while in high school can save literally thousands of dollars in tuition. And that can be a gamecher for some of our our young people. If you look at the college credit analysis, um, AP credit policies do vary across higher education. And again,

178we have students who attend all all four of these um higher education institutions, community colleges, public universities, selective private universities, and Ivy League. All of them. So, if you look at an example of universities and how credits generally count, if you're going to a community college, they almost always will count all threes, fours, and fives. If you're going to a public university, they will usually count threes, fours, and fives where sometimes you'll find a little difference is in a three. For instance, if you have uh a calculus AB and they make a three, they may want you to go ahead and take that course. If you're going to be an engineering major, they may want to give you credit and allow you to skip that if you're going to make a four or a five.

179In selective private schools, they're a little different animal. It's rare they will give credit for three, fours, and fives. Often they will. And the interesting thing is in an Ivy League, they're the ones that generally don't like to give credit. They use it for placement. Um and and especially when you're going into a higher level um major. So this is the actual Connecticut State equivalency chart. And a lot of people don't realize these charts exist for every university across the United States. Um, when we talk about Connecticut State Colleges, this would be like a community college, could be Southern Connecticut State University, and the state of Connecticut actually, you know, worked on this together as a system. So, our students who make a three and they're going to those colleges, as you can see on

180the right, can get up to eight credits. And again, that depends on what they need, what their major is, what they're going into. This is an example of a state college just up up the up the highway. Um, University of Rhode Island and what you'll see University of Rhode Island. Um, if you get a three, four, or five, they're going to give you credit. And again, if you look at something like biology in the middle, you can get up to those eight credits just depending on which biology class you need. So, if you are a student who is, for instance, going to be an engineering major, you may be starting at 103 or 104. Um, so that could impact, you know, where you are because you're already taking the top level. If you're going to

181be an elementary uh teacher, you probably need 101, 102 um at the most. So, your credits are dependent on what your major is and what you're actually doing in college. This is an example of um an institution that is private for University of Southern California. And what you'll see here is in a school that is a private institution. they may very well give you credit, but I thought it was fascinating that they're actually kind of warning the students here if you're going to go premed that there are co there are medical schools who will not accept exam credit, you're you're going to USC, they expect you to have a USC education. They want to know that you're ready for when you take the MCAT and ready for college, um ready for medical school. So, this

182is just to show you kind of the difference in what you get with these different levels. Um, these are different colleges. Again, just taken from their equivalency charts. You can see at Brown, it's pretty much placement. Um, you go down to Connecticut Southern State University. Again, threes, fours, and fives. You can get your biology out of the way. Um, just a few more universities. University of Texas, which is a state uh university. University of California has a large system. So, if you go to UC Santa Barbara, they have satellite campuses all over the place. They are allowed at the satellite campuses to to tweak what they will accept. For the most part, threes, fours, and fives um will count for your credit um there as well. Again, it's that state university. But if you look

183at Michigan, very limited in threes. Um but all of these are um attached when you go and if you just search equivalency credit and a student is thinking about where they might want to go to college, sometimes these equivalency charts can be really helpful. Um so if we look at the last decade of success and and this was one of the questions that that we got uh what do we look like from 2016 through 2026. So if you go back to 2016 we gave a lot of exams. Of course we've always had a strong AP program but again you'll see 12% of our students back in 2016 were making ones and twos. 88% were the threes, fours and fives. And again in 2018 that went up a little bit. uh it was only 10% that

184we're making ones and twos compared to where we are as of last year with literally 3%. So we have continued to increase and get stronger and stronger. So one of the questions also was can we can just compare over time for every course. We don't do that with advanced placement and there's good reason for it. Um the college board is continually updating and changing um what what they offer and how the courses compare from one year to the next. The way that we compare for an AP course is to look at that year that the test was given. For instance, when we get our results from 2026, what was our national annual performance? That is the preferred metric because if the test changed, we want to know exactly how we compare to other equivalent schools

185across the country. Um, and benchmarking against the current year's national average provides a more accurate reflection of relative student success and within a high school. They also do that even from teacher to teacher. If we have a brand new AP teacher teaching AP US history and their scores are vastly different than their colleagues, we want to help them grow and try to figure out why. And again, from year to year, you can see one particular test go up, one particular test go down because they do rewrite the test every single year. Um, some of the overhauls that you see with AP and again, uh, we've been in one of the largest wave of reforms in the history of AP since 2015. um the full course overhauls, AP subjects that are brand new, rubric revisions, digital

186testing, curriculum narrowing, and deletions and replacements. And some of those changes, this is just meant to be an example. There's way more than what's on this slide. Uh AP Physics B was replaced and now we have, you heard the team talk tonight about uh AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2. It was split into two pieces. I expect that could go through another change because this change didn't quite do what college board was hoping it would. Um the world history and computer science principles computer science principles was added trying to get more young people into the tech field. Um there have been major rewrites uh for AP world which was split and then of course in 2020 if you look at that year very different. Um it was only a 45minute online exam due to

187co there was no free response and some students across the country were taking it in their bedroom and in their studies. Um so that year we really don't compare at all. um and 28 exams and 25 26 right now we have been moved to the digital format and we are in the middle of again the digital conversion error is what they call it and it's the largest shift in the the history of advanced placement with a full-scale conversion and right now several of the exams are still hybrid which means your uh multiplechoice is actually online and your free response may be actually still written but they're about halfway through through the conversion. I want to touch on now honors which is also something else people uh wanted to discuss tonight. So there is a difference

188in AP and honors and I just want to say Greenwich High School has an incredibly robust honors program but AP is considered more rigorous and preferred by colleges and there's a reason for that and it's because AP is based on national standards. So everybody in the country takes the same assessment. They have the same pacing expectations and the same content. If you don't get through the content in an AP class, your students probably are not going to do well. Um, when you look at honors, it is totally driven by not only local standards, but I'm going to add teacher standards from class to class. And some of you that have high schoolers probably know that. Um, GHS does have a great reputation. So, I want to make sure I say that for high level honors.

189And when they look at our profile, again, depending on which one of those four higher education opportunities that you want for your child, they may know Greenwich High School well enough that they'll give say honors is fantastic. But if you're looking to go to an Ivy League, they're going to look differently at AP and honors even from Greenwich High School. Um, this gives you an idea of what it looks like. And this is next year's pre-enrollment. I wish I had brought pre-enrollment. Somebody asked tonight, it's actually in my office on my desk, but this one is just looking at next year. Um, how many students are taking honors, for instance, in biology that are pre-enrolled, how many AP students, and what you see, it's about 25% of our our advanced students that are in AP

190and 75% that are in honors. And chemistry is exactly the same. When you get to a subject like US history, AP US history, it's about 50/50. and you just would go subject by subject and and be able to look at those. So, I I think it's important to note, and this is a Joe Kelly slide. I'll dedicate this to him. He was always into national high school rankings, and I think it kind of supports what um what I've just said about how colleges look at it, so do the rankings. Um we are given zero credit in the rankings for our honors classes. So if you're looking at a US news and world report or you're looking at the niche again that you get a factor of zero they care about AP exams or IB international

191balorate exams um our honors and we have a robust honors program don't help us in this area. So if you wonder why we're never going to be number one that is a factor for us and that's okay we have a robust wonderful honors program but I think we need to educate people more that it does impact um our rankings. Now, when you look at the overall academic tiering, I just want to point out Lexington High is uh in Massachusetts, and it's a school that kind of I can benchmark us against. I watch and see what they're doing. And you'll notice in US News, they're ranked 118. Uh Greenwich High School's high school is 419. That does not mean that they are out performing Greenwich High School. Um sorry, I did not. What it does mean

192is that um Lexington has half the honors courses that we have at Greenwich High School. So they kind of force their kids into the AP strand. I don't know that they do it intentionally. It just happens. And so it does push them up in the rankings even though we may have equal or better than performance. Uh when you look at a ranking is it wearing out? Yes. So when we look at I'm going to say journey to opening the gate, it goes back to my first year here in 2019 2020. I'm going to give this credit to Gordon who's at Western. He was passionate about this issue and it was really he had kept data for several years about his students going into the high school and he felt like we were gatekeeping and and

193not allowing students who had the potential and really could be on the advanced track um in Greenwich High School. And so he did a lot of data at looking at what are called overrides. And that's when a teacher may say, "Oh, I'm not sure you're quite ready. You haven't already been in an advanced enough, for instance, coming out of middle school." So then the parent, the student, and often Gordon would have to accompany them to a meeting. Uh kind of say, "We think we can do it." It's pretty stressful for a student to do that and go meet with administration. Some of our parents were intimidated. Um, so when we ran the data and we looked at our ninth graders at the end of the year for overrides versus teacher recommendations, there was absolutely no

194difference. And a matter of fact, I I remember very vividly there only about four students that really weren't doing well at all and they were pretty well split evenly. Two override kiddos and two that were recommended. So that really helped us by looking at the data. Um, and that's how our decision-m has been made. When we look at our prerequisites, again, this was something that I think came up um during the textbook review earlier this year, and it's allowing all students to have access to advanced opportunities, which is the expectation uh for an AP or for an AP program, and it is C plus or higher um in our program of studies. What I will say is most of our students are much higher than that that choose. you saw 25% very few students who

195have had a C plus are going to jump into an AP class. But on the the middle side of that is that it is crucial if we're not going to have really strict uh grading consistency for teachers because I think any of you that have high school students know you're going to have a student in one class, they might have a B+ and they might have the teacher next door and the way they count homework or the way they count their assessments differently. they could have a C plus. And so it's really just not telling a student they're not capable when maybe they they actually are. And I think our teachers do value their autonomy in grading. So this approach allows students the right to choose rigor and teachers to allow to have some autonomy

196in their grading. So let's just talk about the um advanced learners now in our K8 programs. Um the history of ALP has a a long-standing commitment um in Greenwich and it when it was established it was a legacy of gifted education which was really to challenge and inspire students and our comprehensive offering now in elementary is tailored for grades 2 through five across various disciplines. When you look at the historical aspect of ALP, it started in 1961 1962. And I credit um Barbara O'Neal for the amazing work she did. There's a historical report that she wrote back in 2003 where this data was able to be pulled from and she had more than one report we could find. Um but it began as a special workshop class which was just enrichment. Started with fifth grade

197and then the next year they added six. The next year they added four. It eventually grew into um the TAG era which is talented and gifted. And um if you talk to some of our coordinators, they were in the TAG program. I won't name which ones. Um and it was based on the 98th percentile model. >> We can surmise. >> Oh, you can. Um, and it was based on the, and I think this is really important because originally, if you go far enough back, it was based on the 98th percentile model, which is typically what you see for a gifted program across the United States. It's usually 97th or 98th. But by n uh 1980, um they we moved Greenwich did away from that model to what we see now, which moved beyond just an

198IQ um and student achievement testing for identification. And that was a very conscious decision we made and I think we should be very proud of that. We have one of the strongest um advanced learner uh opportunities starting in elementary. Can't find anybody else even in this region where we have high performing schools where they do what we do. And um this was established firmly as an enrichment approach. And when we look at the 1988 um we actually made a structural shift. It used to fall under special education and that was not unusual in the 80s. Um I had a special education degree. I was certified as a gifted educator. It was part of because it's unique learners is really when you think about it. Um and then it moved to a center-based model. Then we

199moved to the advanced English language arts in 2002 2003. Um which is now known as just advanced ELA. We don't use that ALP term in middle school. Um and we had a shift to ALP terminology in 2003 um with the grade two enrichment grades and that's really goes all the way back to where that model started. Through the years you can find shifts usually budgetary impacts where you've shifted one way or the other but this has been pretty consistent. Our current assessment for ALP um is really three assessment components. The first one is aptitude and in Greenwich we use the Kogat and it's administered in the fall of second grade and that shows up on those assessments that you see in the fall. Um qualitative is looking at performances and assessments that are embedded in

200our general curriculum. We also have our NWA which is the standardized achievement um assessment data. So again there are three different components. It is a multifaceted approach with core assessments, parent teacher input, classroom performance and the criteria is based on local norms. So Greenwich norms which prioritizes student potential potential within their specific school or environment and it starts with the top 10% of the grade level within the building. And it's pretty complex and I'm not even gonna try to channel Bonnie when she's not here. uh if you decide you want to have a lot deeper conversation is very complex um the work that happens. So I do want to note that in COVID there was an adjustment and I think this is a little bit of a hangover of what we hear from some parents

201who say oh I'm not sure it's as rigorous and that is because during the full of COVID 2020 2021 our main goal is getting schools open and we did that but we also had to be responsible to COVID mitigations movement around the building. So, if a student qualified in just one area like math, they also stayed in that same room, same cohort of children for ELA and science. Um, those students were grandfathered in, which means if they were like that in third grade, we weren't going to tell them in fourth grade, you're no longer gifted or no longer ALP. Um, so we let those kids finish out their elementary years. Um, but the only adjustment in many years for K5 um occurred during COVID and that's it. Uh the qualification process is just as vigilant

202as it always has been in elementary. When you get into middle school, um advanced courses begin in sixth grade. Um we have ELA, math, and science. I intentionally didn't put world languages on here. We have lots of different levels there, but these are your core subjects. And the um enrollment drivers, again, it's multifaceted. standardized assessments, classroom performance, parents, teachers, elementary out participation, advanced math track, and summer proof to move. And I'll have a slide on that in just a minute. And it really is a collaborative placement process. When we look at some changes over time, probably the biggest change in middle school has been science. Um, and I know Karen Hirs would have remembered because she was sitting in the audience I think when the board discovered that the advanced science had been changed to

203be more a differentiationbased class and they didn't realize that and I was actually brand new and didn't know what in the world they were talking about. So the board wanted us to get back to actually making sure we offered advanced science. Um, and so we made that change and really in 22 23 it became more robust like what you see today. And um zero hour was established for those students. And when we talk about 1% 2% those kids that are really high performers that need something different, they do go to the high school. And you know, we have our middle schoolers. If they need pre-calculus, they're taking pre-calculus. Um and then we also started research um at Greenwich High School, which is another level above even the advanced uh science that's offered in middle school.

204And again, you won't find this anywhere else um in the region and it's very very rare in the country. This is the middle school math um pathways for an online student uh versus a single acceleration or double acceleration. And this is what happens really within the walls of our middle schools, all three schools. And that zero hour I just mentioned is where okay, it's getting beyond the walls of our middle school. They need to be at the high school for math. This is what we call prove to move. And there are lots of options. They can take a bridge course in the summer. Um they can take summer algebra which um provides the opportunity to accelerate to geometry and it covers all of the standards. It is these are rigorous summer courses. Uh summer geometry

205again same thing to be able to get into algebra 2. And we also offer a testonly option if you are going to be in Spain all summer with your family or you know on the other coast visiting grandma and helping out with stuff and you're doing a self-study or you enroll in an online program you can come back then take the assessment and still be able to prove to move. So I just have three more slides and so this one is really again uh wanted to see what is the percent of students in advanced classes at each middle school and I think what you'll see is obviously Eastern has more students but there are also more students who enroll in advanced classes at Eastern than we see at Central and Western but again these aren't

206huge big percentages where parents are just jumping into advanced classes when students aren't prepared. It is a collaborative process. Um teachers and parents and students do work together. Um this is our sixth graders. Seventh grade looks again very similar. And this is our eighth graders. And again you have those slides and you'll see our eighth graders as they're moving through and probably more students prove to move and things of that nature by the time they're in eighth grade. So it does go up a little bit. Um but we have a very robust um advanced program for our kiddos and we do offer national level programs which really does set um the standard and excellence for elementary, middle and high school. So I will do my very best to answer questions but if I don't know

207the answer I am channeling my very old job. I used to be a chief academic officer. I was an AP coordinator and I was certified and gifted, but it has been many years and I this was like geeking out putting the slides together. I really enjoyed it. Um, but I also I I love it. I love this kind of stuff. I love data too. And so I think tonight if there's a lot of questions, what I would say because it is almost 10 o'clock is that send them to us and we'll do our typical Q&A, but I'm happy to take questions as well. >> Um, I I I see and I see some hands. So, I think that's great and we'll we'll take questions, but um um just just before we get to questions, thanks

208for this. I I I I appreciate the comprehensive approach here. The one thing I might suggest when we send this out, I know we always send out um yeah um a notice about the board of ed meetings and the video, watch the video and things since this is such um um interest to so many in the community. if we can identify when you know either time stamp this presentation or even edit it out and se and and separate it when we communicate um I could see that being being helpful to folks you know as this you know since since it was so robust there >> and now when you say time stamp to what you're >> tuned to seven you know two hour and the 45 minute mark to the pull pull this segment out

209pull the segment out >> yeah we will absolutely do that and as a matter of fact we've all learned um just in the last week how to use um the AI convert and we can actually make an AI video in about 3 minutes that will summarize the whole thing and it's a shorter version. So we're working on that so that in the future we can have long versions and short versions for those who need the information faster. Um we can do anything with AI. [laughter] >> Okay, so I see questions. Um I saw Karen Karen Krauss had her hand up first. So go ahead Karen. Uh yeah, I have a lot of questions, but I'll I'll I'll ask maybe two and then and when to get a chance. I I had sent quite a few

210questions in advance. Um look, I appreciate you putting this on the agenda. I was a little disappointed to see that it we didn't have either the longitudinal data about how the percentages have changed nor what's happened to the selection criteria over time. I do have some data points that had been published in the past, but I I would like to see that. Um, but one thing in particular I wanted to talk about and and I and the other board members have a have an email inbox full of messages from students, parents, teachers talking about the harm of uh what what you'll call not gatekeeping, what I call lowering the bar. Um, and you know when I when I and they they highlight a few things. They talk about the harm that's being caused both to

211the advanced students, the the truly advanced students who aren't having their needs met when there are uh such a large number of students who really are are effectively on track in their classes slowing things down. Uh but also the harm that is happening to the mental health of the students who are struggling to keep up. Um, and and look, when I look at these statistics and I say, you know, and I see, you know, 64 or 75% of students are above average, that's not how averages work. Um, and when you've got 75% of your your students in a class, that's not the advanced class anymore. That just means great, Greenwich has a high standard. But I I feel like we're failing our most advanced learners who aren't able to to take the rigor. And so

212I'm I'm wondering if we need to introduce a level above AP and since you know we're an honor since since we're letting anyone into those classes and I understand the motivation of the college board of not gatekeeping because they they sell courses and tests. So, so of course the more the better when you're when you're selling things. But, you know, just as an example, my my high school, which was a little smaller than Greenwich High School, but similar size, uh had an international test in international balora track for students that needed a more rigorous program than what AP could offer. Um, and it had uh and it was it was rigorous. Uh, but there are students who who may very well benefit from that. So what I would say is on and the longitudinal data

213I think we rolled it up for you. That's what that slide that's talking about 2015 to 2026 which we wouldn't go into every single course um and do that. But I also think it's really important on from the side and I say this as a school superintendent and I would I would say for the board you have to let parents make those decisions for their children. I don't think that's something that we put in policy. I don't think it's something I put in a regulation. And I think we have to trust our families that they're having those conversations because in all honesty, some of the most stressed out kids are the ones that are taking four and five APS, they're knocking it out of the park, but they're also trying to row and they're trying

214to do other things. And you know, if that's a choice the family is making, those students often and and student government has talked about that if you remember in their comments a month or two ago and it caused some sidebar conversations just out of interest where they were wanting this board to limit um the number of AP classes that students could take because of the stress factor. And it tends to not be the students who say, "I really want to enroll in AP Bio and they're going to take AP Bio." They might take another course or they might only have one AP. they tend to do pretty well. It's the kids who are overloading and that's those are the students I think we worry the most about. Um and then you know and I think

215if they really want to take the rigor I think that's awesome. I love that your high school had the international baloria. I've been around IB my entire career um private and public and if we wanted to consider um you know having a diploma program that is a smaller diploma program. I know it was debated here ad nauseium like I think Karen you may remember I think it was Chris Winters um wanted to but I don't know if it was a full switch they were advocating for or if it was a small program um but I also um you know have heard even from our ISD families from New Lebanon families you know is that if we're going to look at a magnet for central you know is it continuing what our kids have in elementary

216and perhaps looking at um IB middle school which then could feed into a program whether or not we would have enough kids that would jump into a diploma program and it is totally different training um for teachers. So we'd have to have committed educators to do it. So just >> well I was just going to add to answer some of your questions also. So yeah, I mean going back to Chris Chris winter days, I don't know what grades your children are, but um at the high school in particular, I will use uh prior board members students who are exceed math students. They're high much higher level. They ran through all of the highest level math courses that we had. And our school works with those families and those students to provide college level and beyond,

217not just even AP, those students do, I don't know if it's just zero hour or they provide them um with very specialty programs. So our school does really work at that level to provide students with that. And I will also um say I mean there have been some changes and I but if we're seeing the kind of success with a lot of our students at that level I I I understand I mean I have been asking for certain data for years because it's always the question at the elementary level more so than at the high school level. And I'm like, if we look at the students that are taking AP and doing well on these AP courses, right, at the high school, and then you track them backwards, right? So if these your kids are

218getting threes, fours, and fives at APs, and you track them backwards, were they in ALP in middle, were they in ALP in elementary, and we are able to say 50% of those kids were in ALP in elementary and or middle, and 50% weren't, and they're still having the same success at high school. Then the point is is for me when I look at ALP, at least in the younger years, it's a special education program. It's for students in a different way, but it's for students that need more to move quicker. It gives them that individualized focus and move quicker. And then it gives the regular classroom, those students also that more of a personalized approach. But I would say if you're talking about the high school level, those kids at that age, I mean, parents

219tend to advocate and push their students into doing some of those some of the courses when they're younger, sometimes also in high school. They want to see rigor, blah blah blah blah. But I was going to say those students at that age should also be learning to advocate for themselves if they're in a class that they're struggling to stay in. if they they can go to their adviser and drop down um you know from AP to honors if it's moving too quickly for them um or alternatively if they have a student that's it's an honors and I'm like moving far quicker I don't think they can jump into AP per se uh midyear because it makes it more difficult but um I just I think at the high school level and also before Dr. Jones

220was here. There was there were board discussions. I wasn't on the board at the time. I was uh PTAC, you may remember this, Bob. um discussions on limiting the number of APs that students could take and the out people went um a little nuts and were very frustrated with thinking that we would limit since our our goal is to provide you know the most rigorous and the most challenging for our students, you know, and and provide them support that we would limit the number of APs those students could take and we were, you know, causing detrimental harm. And I I actually see your argument in your discussion and I think it's a very interesting discussion to have. I just think especially if we're talking at high school, um those students wanted to opt in. They

221they sit there, they have long discussions and stuff like that before they go into AP. Yeah. >> Sorry, I just want to clar one clarification and one followup. Um I would never limit the number of APs that can be enrolled and I'm I'm just talking about raising the bar. So AP is a rigor is remains a rigorous course. Um but Dr. Jones I just wanted to you had you had talked about the importance of trusting parents and and I understand that and and and you'll hear me talk about parents rights a lot but I think importantly we have to trust our teachers. I as a parent, I've got two kids, uh, and I just that's not a lot of data points. The teachers and everyone thinks their kids are fantastic and they should, but the

222teachers are calibrated. The teachers have seen hundreds, if not thousands of students. They understand the caliber of the class. I think we need to go back to to having this be based on teacher recommendations, not on on family recommendations. I just don't think our data says that. I I really don't. And I I know we I know we could debate we could debate that. And if you're a teacher and you always um you know taught the top 2% when we had more gatekeeping, is it an easier job? Absolutely. And and I say this as somebody who's married to a high school teacher, taught AP for more than 20 years, AP physics and chemistry. And it is a hard job. It's it's not easy the preparation that goes into it. Um but you know I I

223do think we we do look at teacher recommendations. They still give their recommendations but ultimately even when I was a teacher and I saw when I was a middle school principal I' I would have kids coming into middle school they really wanted to take advanced math. The teacher would be like it's just not right for them. they wanted to do it and then they would end up being like the number one person in the class. Um because it's driven, you know, by what they really want and want to succeed and I I think that's really important. >> So Sophie, I see your hand. >> Thank you. Um yeah, I I just wanted to say I mean I think I have a little different persu I I know a lot of people have had high schoolers

224go through it. Karen has, right? I'm about to have my third one graduate um from Greenwich High School. The gatekeeping that I see that that what functions at gatekeeping is high schoolers really care what their grades are and so do middle school students. So if you're in a class that is too hard for you, you're going to get a bad grade and so you're not going to stay in that class. I mean, so I I'm I'm sort of confused, honestly, by some of the emails that we got from a lot of the parents because I think the classes at the high school, the AP classes are incredibly incredibly rigorous and the kids find out really, really quickly in the first few weeks of the semester whether or not they're going to be able to do

225the work. And they they a lot of kids drop down like they'll be in AP bio and they'll be three weeks in. And I know that, you know, a lot of times the teachers say, "Okay, this is like this is when you need to make that decision, right?" Like, "Are you wanting to stay in this AP class or do you want to drop down?" And there are always, especially, I would say, in the science classes, there are is often a bunch of kids towards the beginning of the semester who say, "You know what? I'd rather do the honors like because I because I'd rather get an A in honors than get a B or B minus in AP or something like that." So there is this sort of natural gatekeeping that happens that maintains the

226rigor of the course. I don't think the teachers at the high school are waiting for anybody like those classes and I don't and I mean that in a good way. I mean I they are incredibly rigorous and I've had two kids, you know, take a lot of AP courses and now go through college at very competitive colleges and they were extremely well prepared by those classes. Wendy. >> Yeah, I think Karen and Sophie both made great points. You do too, Karen. But um my you know, we we all have high schoolers that had have taken these classes. And even when I circled back with my one that came home, I was like, "Do you feel like you had children in that class that couldn't handle it?" And he said, "No, everybody, you know, you you

227want to do well in it, and if you're not doing well in it, then you want to drop down." And and so I think that's where again where that gatekeeping kind of comes in to play. Um I I do worry about the stress because I have had like you know their friends being very stressed out because to your point they're doing sports and they're taking four APs and it's a lot. Um, so I do worry about that and I do think that's more coming from the parents and you know we are Connecticut. We are highly driven kids and parents and we want our kids to do well and go to great schools. Um, I do want to just look at this this graph on page whatever five years of AP data for scores three, four,

228and five. Um, thank you for putting this together, by the way, because there's so much great information in here, and I like looking at the data [laughter] of it. Um, and if we took I didn't know that threes counted for at some of these schools. I just thought it was fours and fives. Um, yeah, I know. And so, you know, you fours and fives was what I thought. So, if you took out the threes, I would love to see how those percentages change. Would you be able to share that with me just to see I think that would I think that would be really interesting. >> Yeah. >> Yes. We and we can absolutely um pull that out for three, fours, and fives. Yeah. It it may take me a little while just because I

229got to go back and pull all the data, but >> No worries. >> Right. Um so, I did hear um uh Dr. Jones suggest um emailing emailing other questions and thoughts and um around around the presentation. Um that said, does anybody have any any burning comments or anything they want to add? >> Go ahead, Bob. >> So, I just want to say one thing. I I thought it was so interesting the proof to move. Um, I just did are are students doing that in middle school to then be able to take the AP classes in high school because I feel like or to catch up to maybe peers where they feel like and sometimes probably their parents but the students themselves feel like they they could be in this class or they could be in

230that class. Do you feel like that's >> right? >> Yes. >> Could also call it the race to calculus. >> I was just going to say my daughter was one um she had a summer where she took a math course of her own valition. I was like, "Okay." And used it to like double or triple jump, whatever in math in high school and got a I think it was a four on BC calc. >> That's amazing. >> So, you want to say something? >> Oh, I was just going to say I I think when what you just said about the equivalency charts, there are many many families that don't even know those exist at the universities. And if you literally just Google the university name AP equivalency, you can find out. And I think it

231could be so much more helpful for families in choosing. I love both of these schools. This one I'm going to be able to get a this AP credit. This one I may not could actually really help families. It just helps in planning. But you'd be surprised. They've been out there for years and a lot of people don't know it. Can I just say one more thing? I do I did like Karen's idea of maybe bringing in an IB. Um because if to to your point if we are letting more people take APs we are maybe maybe we aren't but maybe College Board is maybe making it a little bit easier for children. Just to add on to that we did have IB which was I think was at Western um to allow for students who

232had IB at elementary to be able to continue that education at Western. and the kids were not coming uh to Western for IB. Um and you know, the teachers were trained and trained and trained and and they've finally switched it over because it just wasn't as successful there. So, I think if we're looking to do something like that, it would be something we would really a need to have buyin by the teachers, but more importantly something we really should go back and look at some of the data that we have because >> and I think I know it wasn't successful. That's all I was just going to bring up. >> Sir, there is one get the last word. There is just one important distinction though. IB as it was run at Western and as it

233is at ISD is a random lottery. What I was describing in my high school experience which is which which I'm very grateful for was a testin program. We had IQ tests, we had uh our grades, we had application essays, and we had teacher recommendations. So it was to serve the students who truly needed a very rigorous program, not the ones who lucked out in the lottery and had kind of an IB general global view. This really was meant to be a much higher level of rigor and and so that's a different value proposition. Can I say one thing to I think it is important to note if we get into to IB, it's not considered to be more rigorous. It's different. In in my my high school where I was in Virginia, we offered both.

234We offered AP and it's a the largest IB high school in Virginia. Uh oldest standing high school in Virginia and they're just they're very different. They approach how things are taught, how the tests are given. They're just very different. But I I think exploring that we we may have people that would be very interested in that. >> Okay. >> Compared to prior schools, >> we're we're done. >> Okay. They um so well let's move on to the uh agenda agenda plan for 26 27. Dr. Jones, you're just moving seats here, but you're still you're still still yes, you're still you're still up. Um so, um we had a hard copy in front of us and online here. So, Dr. Jones, anything you want to highlight here? This is a first read. So um the new

235reports that we did um that we added this year stayed on. So, if we added something, you know, at the beginning of the year or, uh, going through, I will note in September 24th, uh, the first business meeting, I did add, uh, information updates, which which kind of goes along to what your board goal was, um, because the building committees are like full steam ahead this summer. And I figure number one, did we get open on time at JCOG and CMS? And, you know, what still needs to be done? Um, so I added those on. The one thing that is not on here just to note is um we will have obviously things that will get added like the pool. Um but I don't have any idea where where that's going to fall. Um but

236other than that, those are really the biggies. Um, and just to note, we we have had these retreats at the beginning of the year, and I know the board always feels a little exhausted getting through September, but they have been so valuable because they're focused on the academics and, you know, and that's where we have the hardest time during the year finding time to really talk about academics. So, I would encourage us to keep it on there. >> All right. So, we're just getting this, so I don't know if anybody else's thoughts, the um comments. We We probably all need time to digest this. Um my suggestion um um if folks don't mind, if you have suggestions, please um um since the the chair supposedly sets the, you know, officially sets the agenda. Any comments

237you have, send it send to me, please include me on any any any questions or concern or comments about this um so that we do it for next time. Okay. Okay. So, one >> right off the bat though, um I might want to think about the CMS report moving that to the third since since opening the um soft. >> Well, yeah, I love the building committee update report, but maybe CMS moves to the third since um with the capital summit since it's um since it'll be opening that week. >> Um but yeah, we can talk. Okay. So now uh we are on to action items. We only have one action item this evening. Um I will make a motion uh to put it on the agenda. So I would like to uh make a motion

238to provide the chair authority to execute an amendment of Dr. Jones's contract uh with an agreed salary increase of 3% on her total compensation. I would like to second Sophie. >> Let me read that one more time. Um, thank you Sophie. So I got I noted the second. Let me read that one more time just for by Michael's benefit. U make a motion to provide the chair authority to execute an amendment an amendment of Dr. Jones's contract for greed salary increase of 3% on her total compensation. Um Sophie has seconded. Um any discussion? Hearing none. I will call the question. All those in favor. Right. That is unanimous. Motion passes. 8 Z. All right. Has anyone make like to make another motion? >> Make a motion to adjurnn. >> All right. Bob makes a motion

239to adjurnn. Wendy. Wendy seconds. All in favor? >> I. >> Two two eight O's in a row. Thank you. Meeting a journ. Please. >> Thanks everyone. Good night.