Board Update: Dec 12, 2025

Testing & Accountability

Results from the 2025 Next Generation Accountability reporting were presented to the Board of Education on November 18 th . Norwalk’s accountability index, the overall percentage of points earned, was 73.9%, above the 2024 results of 70.2% and above the 2025 State’s accountability index of 71.8%.  Norwalk had the largest improvements in the following: ELA growth, both overall and for high-needs students, reduction in chronic absenteeism, and percentage of students reaching the physical fitness health zone.  Five elementary schools were named Category 2 schools.  They had an accountability index above 70% with no subgroup gap outliers and all participation rates above 95%.    

Jefferson and Marvin were in the top 10% statewide for academic growth and named Schools of Distinction. These results were also presented at the December leadership meetings. Schools received 4-year accountability trend reports with detailed results by an accountability indicator.    

The Testing Office continues to support Building Test Coordinators with the use of Smarter Balanced and NGSS interim assessment blocks. Schools are encouraged to use these short assessments to monitor student progress and focus instruction on areas of need.  

Training for teachers who have students who take alternate state assessments is underway.     

Research & Analytics 

Workbooks were created for each elementary and middle school to support progress monitoring of School Improvement Plan (SIP) goals related to rigorous instruction. Because this is the first year we began the school year using SBA scores to set these goals, schools are encountering a new challenge in measuring progress over time. Each school’s workbook allows staff to examine multiple data sources—NWEA, classroom-based assessments, and focused interim assessment blocks aligned with SBAC. The workbooks include both aggregated calculations for all students and student groups, as well as individual student data, enabling adjustments at the school, grade, and classroom levels. Principals, Assistant Principals, and Instructional Coaches received training on the workbook at last week’s leadership meeting. An updated version will be generated after the mid-year NWEA assessment window, followed by individual meetings to review the data.   

At last week’s leadership meetings, district and building leaders deepened their learning around the Portrait of a Graduate and the effective communicator competency. Building leaders were selected from across the district to highlight instructional practices and instructional moves they have used within their buildings to bring the PoG to life.    

Student Information System  

6th Grade Lottery drawing is expected to be run on Dec. 15.  Notifications will go out to families by the end of that week.

Early Career Assistant Principals

On Dec. 9, we held our second meeting with our early career assistant principals. This engaging and interactive session was facilitated by three of our amazing assistant principals, Jennifer Scanlan, LaShante James and Evan Byron. During the session, assistant principals were able to discuss research-based leadership strategies, reflect on their school's ELA/Literacy work, and collaboratively problem solve around various scenarios. It is wonderful to see our early career assistant principals learning with and from each other!

December Principal and Assistant Principal Meetings

On Dec. 2 and 3, we hosted our December Leadership meetings. During the time together, school and district leaders engaged in professional learning to further advance our work with the Portrait of a Graduate and the NPS Literacy Vision. Special shout out to the Marvin, Jefferson, Wolfpit and West Rocks leaders for sharing some exciting practices with their colleagues!

November Learning Walks

In November, we held our first round of district learning walks to gather data about the implementation of our professional learning. Data was gathered from more than 200 classrooms and it is exciting to see the progress we are making toward our district instructional practice goals. 

Click here to find the subsequent communication.

Food Services

Chartwells and the Norwalk Food Service team have been collecting canned and shelf stable foods to donate to the Open Door shelter for the holiday season. Thank you, team, for all of your hard work and generosity.

The Global Eats were served on Dec. 11 in our upper schools, stop by for stuffed shells with roasted green beans. Be sure to stop by and give it a try!

Try it Thursday is on Dec. 18. All schools will feature Seasoned Zucchini for our students to try! Be on the lookout for the pop-up in your school.

This week our Fresh Food and Vegetable Program schools enjoyed cauliflower and nectarines this past month. Next week students can look forward to delicious green beans and red pears.

Remember that all breakfast and lunch is free for all students. Bento Boxes are offered at Breakfast either as a meal or snack for later. Check out our Take Three It’s Free campaigns on all social media.

Facebook (English) - Norwalk Public Schools Facebook

(Spanish) - Norwalk Public Schools en Español

Instagram - @norwalkschoolsct

X - @NorwalkPS

Facilities

On Dec. 9, the Common Council provided approval for Hertz Furniture to replace all student lockers for Ponus and Nathan Hale. This project will take place during the summer of 2026.

On Dec. 9, the Facilities Committee approved the Educational Specifications required to submit a grant application in January for a UST removal at 46 Concord & an asbestos abatement at NHMS.

On Dec. 4, bids were received for consulting services regarding the removal of the UST tank at 46 Concord and temporary Air conditioning at Wolfpit. The bids are currently under review and these projects are scheduled to take place during the summer of 2026.

School Safety

Welcome aboard Vidal Gonez, our second School Safety and Preparedness Supervisor.

Mr. Gonez brings more than 20 years of experience with the Norwalk Police Department, including extensive work as a School Resource Officer at both the middle and high school levels. He is a certified SRO through NASRO and has advised school leaders on safety protocols, emergency preparedness, and crisis response, providing steady leadership during critical incidents.

His background includes specialized roles in tactical operations, public safety consulting, and Spanish translation, as well as service in the U.S. Army Reserves, where he developed skills in emergency medical care and logistics. He has also earned multiple commendations for professionalism and service.

Fluent in Spanish and deeply committed to youth engagement, Mr. Gonez is known for building trust and strong relationships with students, families, and staff; experience that will be invaluable in his new role.

Health Services

Neffy, the needle-free, noninvasive epinephrine, was distributed to every school nurse on Dec. 9. This is kept as stock, emergency medication in the event of anaphylaxis (acute allergic response). School Health Services will meet with the policy committee to ensure that this nasal spray version of epinephrine is included in NPS policy.

On Dec. 9 school nurses participated in a presentation by Promedsoftware, previewing the newest version of SNAP, the electronic medical records system used by NPS school nurses. Version 5 is a fully updated version that will enable the user to be more thorough and efficient. There will be no additional costs to utilizing this updated system which becomes available on March 31.

Since Nov. 26, school nurses have evaluated 700 student injuries, 1,997 student health concerns, administered 405 medications, and provided 210 student treatments.

SHS participated in the High School Choice fair at BMHS on Dec. 3 to discuss student health needs and resources.

SHS continues to utilize donations provided by the Lion’s Club to support vision care for students in need.

 Humanities

Winter literacy walks have been conducted across the district this season at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in partnership with TNTP. These walks provided building and district leaders with a consistent, cross-grade look at literacy instruction and curriculum implementation in real time. Teams observed classrooms allowing us to see how core materials are being used, how students are engaging with complex texts and writing tasks, and how instructional practices are supporting our literacy goals. The evidence collected through these literacy walks is now being used to inform decisions about professional learning at both the school and district levels. Patterns that emerged across classrooms and grade bands are helping leaders identify areas of strength to replicate and specific needs for targeted support.

Principals, assistant principals, and literacy coaches have continued their professional learning in our monthly leadership meetings. Recent sessions have focused on analyzing accountability data alongside our Portrait of a Graduate competencies, with a particular emphasis on how those competencies, such as critical thinking and effective communication, are embedded and developed through literacy instruction. This ongoing work is helping leaders connect classroom practices to student outcomes, align school improvement efforts with the literacy vision, and ensure that instruction is not only standards-aligned but also preparing students with the skills and competencies outlined in our Portrait of a Graduate.

STEM

Science 

Roton Middle School educators are currently collaborating to deepen their proficiency and refine their implementation of the OpenSciEd resource. Teachers are focused on optimizing pacing, enhancing instructional delivery, and expanding teacher capacity to facilitate high-quality, student-centered scientific inquiry.

Marine Science

Our Marine Science pathway continues to offer students immersive, hands-on learning opportunities across the district:

• West Rocks Middle School students recently traveled to the Yale Peabody Museum to engage directly in scientific fieldwork and exhibits.
• Jefferson Marine Science Elementary continues its robust partnership with the Maritime Aquarium, where students regularly visit and work alongside aquarium staff.
• Brien McMahon High School is actively expanding its drone program, providing students with cutting-edge technical skills for environmental monitoring.
• All three Marine Science Pathway schools report that their classroom reef tanks are flourishing with the addition of new coral, serving as vibrant living laboratories for daily observation and study.

MLL Update

Our Multilingual Learner Department has been busy gearing up for this year’s LAS Links English Language Proficiency assessment! Each year, this important assessment helps us understand the growth and progress of our MLL students in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Our team has been actively partnering with schools, sharing data, and offering strategies to help every student strengthen their English language skills.

We’re also excited to share that the Family Center’s 4th Annual Holiday Toy Drive and Read Aloud is right around the corner! We want to send a huge thank-you to our generous NPS community sponsors. Because of you, we’ve surpassed our 2025 goal and are proud to be sponsoring 141 scholars this holiday season. Your kindness continues to make a meaningful impact year after year.

The Holiday Read Aloud event will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 17th from 5 to 7 p.m. at 46 Concord Street. 

Specialized Learning 

The Department of Specialized Learning will hold our New Teacher Academy on Dec. 16. This will be for all new Specialized Learning staff. The topic will cover the PPT Process and Best Practices.  

School Counseling and Workforce Development

In December, for Developmental Guidance Classroom Lessons, School Counselors are delivering Lesson #13 in Social-Emotional Learning for grades 6 thru 8. In 6th grade, they will be working on the "You Are Not Your Thoughts" Lesson. In 7th Grade, they will be working on the "Reframing Your Thoughts" Lesson, and in 8th Grade, they will be working on the "Who Is The Troll Under The Bridge" Lesson. Dr. Estrellas’ Student Council continues to meet, and each group is working on their problem-of-practice change projects. Our School Counseling Teams K-12 participated in a 504 Training on procedures and processes. The School Counselor Team K-12 also had the opportunity to participate in coaching with the Triangle Center. Our new School Counselors, with the team, will participate in an upcoming Risk Assessment & Intervention Guide Training. Our College & Career Specialists have been coordinating college and university admission days, planning the district-wide senior Trade Day on December 10th, and scheduling Financial Aid Appointments with scholars, to name a few.

The Norwalk ACTS fundraiser was hosted at HMTX in Norwalk, and the CT High School Public Safety Summit was attended. In December, in the Developmental Guidance Classroom Lessons, School Counselors are delivering Lesson #13 in Workforce Development for grades K-3rd.  In Kindergarten, they will be working on the "Do We Like It Or Not" Lesson. In 1st grade, they will be working on the "Like vs. Dislike" Lesson. In 2nd grade, they will be working on "Why Do We Have To Do It," and in 3rd grade, they will be working on the "Things I Like To Do and Things I Do Not Like To Do" Lesson. Middle School Counselors will be talking about Career Pathways selections when meeting with their 6th-grade scholars. In November, Workforce Development Workshops were hosted for Juniors and Seniors at Norwalk High School, P-TECH Norwalk, Brien McMahon High School, and The Center for Global Studies, in the Career Centers. In these upperclassmen workshops, we discussed Career Pathways, Postsecondary Plans, Apprenticeships, Trades & Training, Internships, and Job Opportunities. The Pathways to Construction partnership continues to meet as we discuss our next Trade Exposure cohort for our scholars who are 16+ years old. For all NPS Workforce Development Opportunities and more, visit www.norwalkps.org/careertraining. Please be sure to bookmark the site and check back regularly for new and exciting opportunities! 

Network/Infrastructure

We are currently in the final stages of preparing and submitting our applications for the federal E-rate program for the upcoming 2025-26 funding year. This critical initiative is essential for maintaining and modernizing the technological backbone of our district.

Category 1: Internet Access and Wide Area Network (WAN)

Our Category 1 submission is focused on securing funding to cover essential ongoing operational costs. This funding, if approved, will be entirely utilized to subsidize the expenses associated with our district-wide internet connectivity and the maintenance of our Wide Area Network (WAN). The goal is to ensure reliable, high-speed internet access for all schools and administrative buildings, supporting all instructional, administrative, and testing needs. The E-rate discounts in this category significantly reduce the financial burden on the local operating budget for these fundamental services.

Category 2: Internal Connections and Infrastructure Upgrades

The Category 2 application is focused on a much-needed capital investment in our internal network infrastructure. Our plan for this funding year targets the replacement of end-of-life network electronics at three of our elementary schools. This work encompasses replacing aging core switches, routers, and related networking gear to enhance system reliability, increase network throughput, and ensure compliance with modern security standards.

Furthermore, we are planning a targeted upgrade of additional Wi-Fi access points across several other schools. This proactive upgrade will address areas where current coverage is inconsistent or where the density of connected devices (laptops, tablets, and mobile devices) has outpaced the capability of the existing older generation access points. By deploying current-generation Wi-Fi 6-capable hardware, we will significantly improve the wireless experience for students and staff, especially in high-density areas like auditoriums, libraries, and common instructional spaces. This upgrade is foundational to supporting our 1:1 device initiatives and the increasing reliance on cloud-based learning applications.

Enterprise Software

Our department continues to participate in bi-weekly virtual meetings with the EDSAFE AI Alliance Policy Labs, collaborating with peers in this national network to share insights and strategies for navigating the evolving landscape of AI in education.

Our team met with the Human Resources department to discuss and provide input on the development of a digital onboarding process for new hires. This initiative will allow new staff to learn about the NPS digital environment at their own pace, as well as gain access to key NPS systems and departmental resources. We are excited to support the transition to a more modern and efficient onboarding experience.

Secure browser updates have been completed across multiple platforms, including the AP World Language Exam, DRC LAS Links, College Board Bluebook, and others.

We continue to provide daily technology support to all staff and students across the district.

Digital Learning

Coaches from the Digital Learning Department presented Norwalk Public Schools’  AI Guidebook to Board of Education and Community Members during the Board of Education Meeting on Nov. 12, 2025. This guidebook introduces how Norwalk Public Schools uses Artificial Intelligence to support teaching, learning, and innovation—safely, ethically, and responsibly. 

An Introduction to AI for Educators Newsletter was developed and sent to NPS staff on behalf of the digital learning department, this newsletter can be found here. 

Stefanie Barry has continued collaboration with 3rd grade teacher and 4th grade teacher at Kendall to integrate technology into Science and Social Studies curriculum with project base learning activities.  NotebookLM was introduced to 3rd grade teacher to support Science and Social Studies  and digital platform curriculum integration. Currently working on a Google Vid project with 4th grade.

MagicSchool AI Professional Development was presented by MagicSchool’s PD and Community Specialist, Destinie Thomas to certified educators at the following schools: Ponus Ridge, Concord Magnet, Fox Run, Marvin, Jefferson, and Silvermine. 

Budget

The Finance Team continues to advance the development of budget projections for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Our focus remains on creating a budget recommendation that aligns with district goals, meets the needs of our students, and is responsible to Norwalk taxpayers. As part of this process, all departmental submissions have been carefully reviewed for accuracy, demonstrated need, and alignment with district priorities. Initial reductions have already been applied within Central Office budgets.

On November 19th, the Norwalk Board of Education hosted a Town Hall dedicated to the development of the FY 2026-27 Operating and Capital Budgets. Community members participated in a live Q&A session, and all submitted questions and their responses will be posted on the NPS Budget Website under the FAQ section. The event concluded with roundtable discussions, during which each table identified and shared its top three priorities for the budget.

On December 9, the FY 2026–27 Superintendent’s Recommended Budget was formally presented during a Board of Education workshop. Both current and incoming board members were invited to ask questions, along with representatives from the Norwalk City Council and the Board of Estimate and Taxation.

We encourage families, staff, and community members to visit the budget website regularly as the process continues. The site includes a wide range of resources, including presentations, media clips, budget updates, and a comprehensive FAQ.

NPS Budget Website: https://bit.ly/NPSBudgetWebsite

In partnership with CLA, the district’s external auditors, the Budget Team continues to support the year-end review of the 2024-25 fiscal year. This work includes the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) compliance review, reconciliation of deferred revenue, and preparation of required state and federal reports such as the State Single Audit and the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).

The Education Financial System (EFS) submission is also being finalized to reflect year-end audit adjustments and Period 13 expenditures. In conjunction with this work, the State’s desk audit has been completed. The issuance of the City’s 2024-25 financial statements remains on schedule.

Grants

This week, the Grants team focused on reconciling multiple items—including the 2026–27 budget, mapping, and alignment with the Superintendent’s Recommended Budget. We also developed the new Title I allocations for next year.

A major milestone was the setup of 22 new Munis users, completed ahead of the training session scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 10, led by the Purchasing Department. Additionally, I completed my assigned sections for the EFS Desk Audit and distributed the remaining sections to the appropriate staff members.

Another successful task this week was drawing down the remaining IDEA 611 and IDEA 619 funding for the 2024–25 school year.

Capital

In Capital this week, we submitted Change Order No. 6 for the Norwalk High School building project. We have also been working closely with the project manager for Norwalk High and South Norwalk, on reconciling invoices and following up on outstanding payments.

We also reviewed the status of the progress payment for the South Norwalk School project submitted to the state. While there have been delays, we are moving toward a resolution and anticipate receiving either funding or a definitive update by early next week per Department of Administrative Service.

Payroll/Benefits

Open enrollment for the Flexible Savings Account and Dependent Care Account (DCA) plans are currently underway. Enrollment will close on Dec. 19 for the 2026 benefit year. We are also continuing work on the upcoming Virtual Wellness Portal, which is scheduled to launch for all staff in January 2026. In addition, we continue to process an increasing number of Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave requests as we approach our peak season.