• B. Bagley was appointed to the finance committee, which currently consists of C. Sneed (Chair), D. Zieff, B. Carlson and E. Vega
• B. Carlson is proposing a fundraising committee, chaired by D. Zieff - sub-committee

B. Chan and C. Sneed noted that the school is in a strong financial position for the upcoming school year. The finance committee is working on a fundraising subcommittee and major grant proposals for the SY 23-24 and 24-25.

Chris Pellegrino:

• Community and Culture
  • Restorative and Progressive Discipline Approach
  • Increasing student leadership and experiences
  • Adding more college courses for students
  • Greater Focus on Alternative Learning and Mediations
  • Provide peer on peer conflict resolution, opportunities for students to develop their Emotional Intelligence
• College and Career Readiness
  • College Partnership with Post University & Housatonic College
  • AP Classes
  • Seal of Bi-Literacy and expanding
  • Increased FAFSA Support
  • Hiring College and Career Counselor
• Staff Development
  • increase overall staff development through leadership opportunities
• Attendance
  • Attendance Team Structure
  • Continue to have family engagement
  • Improving data collection of students absent

D. Zieff asked about teacher and staff appreciation day. 

B. Bagley discussed College and Career readiness including resume building.

S. Morgan- Discussed encouraging attendance and coming up with a system.

B. Carlson asked about half day Tuesday and how they affect attendance for students. We have extended days every day and that is how we balance Tuesdays for staff development. 

Denise Linares:

Staff retention and development goals are to:

• Strengthen structure for Grade Team Leads & collaboration with Admin/ILT 
• Build upon instructional walkthrough process and teacher development
• Develop plan for staff acknowledgement & celebrations 

Student and Family Engagement: 

• Constant meetings with student recruitment and family involvement
• Develop and execute parent events calendar
• Expand utilizing panorama to view the entire student's data
• Regular attendance incentives
• Implement alternative learning & restorative assignments 

Academic progress and how to measure:

• Data team meetings on regular basis and part of teacher schedule
• Sharing of intervention plans on a central platform 
• Repurposing Tuesdays experience for students and teachers around growth (Reaching/Skills & Data Chats/Assessments)

B. Carlson discussed a mentoring program within the students like "big sister, big brother". 

B. Carlson asked "what's your biggest challenge?" Denise discussed teachers not allowing students to learn from their struggles and allowing students to figure things out on their own.

KA. Hewell-Walker:

STEM:

• Goal is to change mindset of the teachers. 
• Utilize Americorp fellows in the classroom.
• Ensure new curriculum is used and making sure teachers are learned and utilized.
• Promoting student centered learning
• Begin interventions at beginning of the year for students to close the achievement gap.
• Monitoring of instruction through observation and data analysis of students
• Promoting realtime coaching support
• Have professional learning in place, high quality instruction to allow teachers to develop skills they need in order to assist students. Teachers need to activate the learning and become a conductor of learning.
• Professional development runs from 6-8 weeks. Coaching is every day, being able to attend meetings, assist teachers with developing lesson plans, assist with whatever professional development has done and allows for extra reinforcement. 

D.Zieff discussed that he is part of the Discovery Museum, part of Sacred Heart Association. He mentioned that it is fascinating how new generation of teachers are being trained because times are changing and so are the challenges. 

B. Carlson asked have you found that all teachers have accepted the program? KA. Hewell-Walker stated all have accepted, most have adapted to it. Mindsets are shifting and coming into this school year teachers know expectations and why this is working. 

K. Francis Barnes:

• Discussed implementation of 90 minute block for literacy, utilizing small groups and stations, Fishtank Learning Curriculum 6-12. 
• Teachers were able to give students one on one instructions and more individualized attention they needed in order to assist students. Fellows as well. 
• Used literacy in art and social studies classroom. Students studied visual as a way of building literacy
• Taught limited standards in all subject areas
• Continue to use various data streams to monitor progress
• Embedding tiering in reading as well as Senior Capstone

Goals for school year and next upcoming years:

• Provide high-quality instruction that is based on the use of student data
• Collect, analyze and provide student academic data so that teachers and
  students can improve outcomes while teachers and administrators
  monitor program effectiveness.
• Tiered Intervention- Identify the specific needs of students, provide necessary instructional
  support, and close developmental gaps.
• Establish the minimum standard of rigor in classrooms

J. Scalice:

Summarized this past year:

• Improvement in ELA and Math proficiency scores
• Made changes to High Dosage tutoring and SRBI process 
• High School graduation and career and college prepareness.
  • This year 45% of students graduated with 
  • 91% graduation rate, final score yet to be determined. About a 4-5% increase every year.

D. Zieff asked, How do you evaluate your success in getting your students ready with careers compared to college?

• We track college plans and workforce pathways
  • Barr grant supports career and college
  • 50% apply to college, the other 50% plan to enter the workforce
• We noticed that teachers want an earlier intervention in order to assist students faster and be able to meet proficiency
• Chronic absences- school districts are having a hard time getting students back to school
  • anxiety, trauma, nerves, 

D. Zieff asked what is the school's philosophy about suspension? 

• Suspension rate went down to 10% 
• Fellows- Working on a curriculum, regarding Professional Development
• Data tracking and accountability- Panorama is incredible and will be rolled out to staff with all student data in one sheet.
  • This includes attendance, performance, behavioral, academic, etc. all is there.
• Increase number of enrollment in teacher certification program
  • 22% of staff are former Americorp fellow

Goals for this upcoming school year:

• Professional development for staff and fellows
• More curriculum data review, fidelity
• More outside partnership for professional development
• Allow more targeted intervention- Academic intervention begins on September 11
• District wide/ across grade levels to see where students are falling short
• Student and parent panel 
• Mediation training for culture staff and peer mediation to work with students 

Goals from the Board: 

- +10 Point increase in ELA and Math SBAC

- Math – Gr 6 (+10), Gr 7 (+7), Gr 8 (+1)

- ELA – Gr 6 (+6), Gr 7 (+4), Gr 8 (+23)

- Reduction of Suspension by 15%

- Actual Reduction of 41%

(10% Suspension Rate)

- Reduction of Chronic Absenteeism by 15%

- Actual Reduction of 26%

(22% Chronic Absenteeism)

L. Hubbard:

• Projected 661 student enrollment this year which speaks to retainment. 

Some challenges:

• Limited Capacity in certain grades due to physical space constraints.
• Lower enrollment & Limited waitlist in 6th grade.
• Increased competition from technical and private schools.

Enrollment Success this school year: 

• Enhanced diversity of our student body through targeted outreach.
• 91% student retention.
• Total 9th grade applications received increased 27%.
• 98% of open seats filled by June compared to 93% in 2022.
• Consistent average of 12 -13% enrollment of English Language Learners.

Future Recruitment initiatives:

• Strengthen recruitment efforts in areas with low representation to further enhance diversity. 
• Conduct annual satisfaction surveys
• More staff participation in community events to connect with families.
• Collaborate with district elementary school.

Teacher Certification goals:

• Partnership with multiple universities
• More streamlined online application process including in PEO programs
• Investment in more recruitment initiatives.
• Current certified staff retention incentives. (PD,Leadership Opportunities)
• Firm probationary period to obtain certification outlined in initial offer.

Executive session was adjourned and return to the Board Meeting.