Board Update: Jan 10, 2025
Every two weeks, the different departments of Norwalk Public Schools provide an update to the Board of Education of the work they've been doing to ensure an excellent and equitable education for all our scholars. We're sharing that update with our entire community now!
From the desk of Dr. Alexandra Estrella, Superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools
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- Communications
- Excellence, Equity & Inclusion
- Leadership Development
- Business & Operations
- Curriculum, Instruction & Specialized Learning
- Digital Learning & Technology
- Finance
- Human Resources
Communications
LaShante James - Assistant Principal of the Year
Congratulations to Assistant Principal LaShante James at Brien McMahon High School for being recognized as the 2025 High School Assistant Principal of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Schools.
We wholeheartedly agree with CAS that this award is a testament to your unwavering dedication, visionary leadership and tireless commitment to the well-being and success of every member of your school community.
James will now be considered for the National High School Assistant Principal of the Year Award by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. We wish her the best of luck!
Click here to read more about James’ honor.
Norwalk Community Immigration Meeting
On Dec. 18, Superintendent Dr. Estrella joined CT Attorney General William Tong, Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, Norwalk Police Chief James Walsh and Lamond Daniels, chief of Community Services for the City of Norwalk, for the city’s Immigration Community Meeting. The local, state and community leaders discussed how the city and the state plan to protect our immigration population in response to announced policies by the incoming administration.
Dr. Estrella and the Norwalk Board of Education also released a statement in support of our immigrant population. Please click here to read.
Giving Back at the Holidays
The NPS Family Center hosted its 3rd Annual Holiday Read Aloud on Dec. 16. This year’s event featured a special guest appearance by none other than The Grinch, the star of Superintendent Dr. Estrella’s festive read-aloud selection, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
Thanks to the incredible generosity of NPS staff, we were thrilled to provide gifts to nearly 120 children this holiday season! Families also enjoyed sweet treats served by the Family Center “elves,” face painting fun and festive activities that brought smiles all around. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event so magical!
The Family Center also assisted our NPS Coalition of Unions and Blessings of Hope to distribute 200 boxes of food to support our families across the district and community prior to the holiday break.
Thank you to all our volunteers who supported this event and made it a rousing success! We hope this food distribution helped to provide some relief to our families most in need.
Quick Links
In Case You Missed It
Superintendent’s Book Club feat. Chase Brown (VIDEO)
Dr. Estrella is inviting some of our best young readers to be part of her Superintendent Book Club this school year. Her fourth guest reader is Chase Brown, a fifth grader from Brookside Elementary School, who is reading “The Lucky Grapes” by Tracey Kyle and illustrated by Marina Astudillo.
Fun Fact! Tracey Kyle viewed Chase’s video on the NPS Facebook and commented, “This young man read my book beautifully! ¡Gracias!”
We helped our community get into the festive spirit with the sweet sounds of Norwalk Public Schools’ talented student musicians! From classic carols to cheerful tunes, our Holiday Serenades hoped to brighten your season.
NPS Shorts (VIDEOS) - Be sure to watch more of our NPS Shorts (VIDEOS). You’ll never miss one if you follow us on Instagram @norwalkschoolsct
Important Dates
Monday, Jan. 20 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (No School; Central Office Closed)
Monday, Jan. 27 - Staff Professional Development (2-Hour Early Release)
Upcoming Events
The NHS CaBEARet
Friday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m.
Norwalk High School, Auditorium, 23 Calvin Murphy Dr. in Norwalk
The NHS Theatre Co. will present The NHS Cabearet on Friday, Jan. 10 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the NHS Auditorium. Come enjoy a night of music, dance, theatre and fun by our Norwalk High School students, alumni and a few special guests!
Tickets are $10 for students, faculty and alumni. General admission tickets are $15. All funds will be donated to the NHS Theatre Co. Click here to purchase your tickets.
Celebrate the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Monday, Jan. 20
Join us on Monday, Jan. 20 to Celebrate the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.! The multi-event celebration is sponsored by Crown Trophy, Norwalk Public Schools, Brien McMahon High School, Norwalk High School and Center for Global Studies.
A community breakfast will be served from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Grace Baptist Church, located at 17 West Ave. in Norwalk, in the Church Hall. Breakfast is $15. Tickets for the community breakfast can be ordered by either calling 203-295-4013 or 203-904-3604. All proceeds will benefit the MLK Scholarship Fund.
The NPS Student and Staff Program will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Norwalk High School in the auditorium. Norwalk Board of Education member Howard White will serve as the keynote speaker. The free program will also include NPS student performances and artwork as well as presentations of the Dr. King Service Award to high school seniors.
The celebration will conclude with a free evening program at Norwalk City Hall, starting at 5 p.m. Rev. Darien Jones of the Bethel AME Church in Stamford will deliver the keynote address.
Project SEARCH Information Session
Wednesday, Jan. 22 from 6 to 7 p.m.
NPS Family Center, 1 Park St. in Norwalk
Project SEARCH Norwalk will host an information session on Wednesday, Jan. 22 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the NPS Family Center, located at 1 Park St. in Norwalk.
Learn more about this one-year vocationally-based internship program for young adults with disabilities (generally between the ages of 18 and 22). The program targets students/young adults whose goal is competitive employment.
Elementary School Showcase
Thursday, Jan. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Jefferson Marine Science Elementary School, 75 Van Buren Ave. in Norwalk
The Elementary School Showcase will be held on Jan. 30, 2025 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Jefferson Marine Science Elementary School.
Join us to learn more about our 13 elementary schools that include a wide variety of magnet programs focusing on language, character, college and career readiness, and visual and performing arts as well as our neighborhood schools.
Excellence, Equity & Inclusion
Testing & Accountability
2023-24 Next Generation Accountability results were presented to the Board of Education on December 17. 9 elementary schools, 4 middle schools and 2 high schools had gains in their 2024 accountability index (percent of points earned) compared to 2022-23. The district will continue to focus on reducing the performance and participation gap between high needs students (MLL, SPED and Free-Reduced Lunch) and non-High Needs students.
On January 6, elementary and middle school Improvement Teachers reviewed their school’s three-year accountability trends. They were presented with an overview of the State’s Centralized Reporting System (CRS) and interim assessments. Then they accessed their students’ online results using CRS.
In an effort to reduce the number of assessments, an update of the 2024-25 district testing calendar has been approved. Smarter Balanced will now serve as Norwalk’ end –of –year measure for students in grades 3-8. Only students in grades K-2 will take NWEA spring assessment. NWEA winter testing has been changed to February for grades K-10.
School Quality Review (SQR)
Norwalk Public Schools is in the fourth year of a process called a School Quality Review (SQR), that produces additional data points for school improvement. There will be 13 schools receiving a School Quality Review for 2024-25. To date, four schools have undergone the School Quality Review: West Rocks Middle School, Concord Magnet School, Center for Global Studies, and Kendall College and Career Magnet. Their reports are in the quality assurance process and drafts. The next school receiving an SQR will be Marvin Elementary School on Wednesday-Thursday, January 15-16, 2025.
Research & Analytics
Presented regarding using data for scientific research-based intervention to improvement teachers alongside Director of Testing, SRBI Coordinator, and Director of Counseling. Presented to equity ad-hoc committee regarding program evaluation, specifically focusing on the evaluation of MBK/MSK as a pilot
Elementary and middle school Principals, Assistant Principals and Instructional Coaches were provided training on monitoring progress toward improving accountability metrics and closing gaps in performance using curriculum-based assessments. For each school, a presentation was generated analyzing performance on both English and Math curriculum-based assessments and identifying strengths and weaknesses in performance by standard. Leaders were guided through a process of analyzing the data set, connecting it to current practice and improvement efforts, and identifying next steps to support specific instructional adjustments and adjust school improvement plans.
Presented updates on the Portrait of a Graduate to Elementary School Governance Councils (SGCs). Shared Portrait of a Graduate resources and age-appropriate critical thinking strategies to help families learn about the initiative and support their children in developing the Portrait of a Graduate competencies at home.
Student Information System
Middle School lottery responses from families were due January 7. Follow-up has ensued to reach out to those families. The High School lottery will close on January 13 and lottery drawing is scheduled to happen on January 21.
Leadership Development
Leadership Reflections and After Action Reviews
During our monthly learning series for principals, assistant principals and coaches on Jan. 7 and Jan. 8, school leaders read chapter 4 of What Is My Value Instructionally to the Teachers I Supervise, by Baruti K. Kefale. Based on the reading they engaged in reflections on their instructional leadership and engaged in after action reviews with their teams. This process allowed leaders to assess the progress they are making towards meeting their goals. High school leaders shared strategies on preparing students for the spring SAT exam and elementary leaders analyzed curriculum-based student assessment data. The session concluded with leaders receiving Title IX training.
District Wide Learning Walks
On Jan. 22 and Jan. 23, Central Office staff will participate in our second districtwide learning walks for the 2024-25 school year. For this round, we will visit Brookside Elementary School, Naramake Elementary School, Roton Middle School, Rowayton Elementary School, Fox Run Elementary School, South Norwalk Elementary School, and Ponus Ridge Middle School. The remaining schools will conduct their own learning walks with their school-based teams. The focus of these learning walks is to monitor the progress our schools have made since the fall learning walks. Information provided during the learning walks will inform future professional learning.
Business & Operations
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Food Services  The six-week Mood Boost Program began on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at Cranbury School. There will be pop-up tastings of fruit salad and we will introduce students to the Mood boost Program which helps them make the connection between the foods they eat and how they feel. On Jan. 9, there was a pop-up chef tasting with chocolate raspberries and basil. Each week in January, the school menu will feature one vegetable correlating to that weeks Moodie. The Moodies are as follows: Alert, Calm, Confident, Smart, Happy and Strong.  The FFVP this week will be serving broccoli and Cara Cara Oranges, and next week our students will be tasting cherry tomatoes and Persimmons. The District Supper Program began last month. The program completed our first month and were able to serve roughly 1900 meals for the 9 days served. Facilities Middle School Lockers: A color has been identified, and this project is aligned with a summer of 2025 installation date. Tracey and Brookside Underground Storage Tanks and Fox Run Abatement: The City’s Purchasing Dept. has placed this product out to bid and vendor walk-throughs are scheduled for Jan. 10. Tracey Air Conditioning: The City’s Purchasing Dept. has placed this product out to bid and vendor walk-throughs are scheduled for Jan. 13. School Safety  The School Safety Team has expanded the use of the Ambient.AI camera monitoring software to include the Norwalk High School campus. The software monitors the existing cameras for several threat indicators including fights, brandishing of weapons, slips and falls, fire and smoke, propped doors and other indicators. When a potential threat is recognized, school staff are notified. Transportation Preliminary preparation for the SY25-26 school year routes has begun. Families interested in attending a magnet or choice program in the new year, and need transportation, should be reminded students will receive transportation only if they have followed the lottery process and have been offered a lottery seat. Families will be required to provide transportation for those students applying to attend a school outside of their district (intra district transfer). Please see the below dates for lottery submission/response:
Winter is here! It can be cold waiting at the bus stop for pickup, please make sure you are registered for the parent tracking app, Bus Zone! Please click here for further information on how to register Bus Zone App Health Services  School health services continue to surveil the district to identify trends and illnesses. While Norovirus (stomach bug) has been reported to be on the rise in Fairfield County and beyond, NPS student data indicates that there have been less student complaints of Norovirus symptoms this year than there were last year for the same time period. SHS continues to monitor. SHS is working with a community partner to identify increased access to dental services for students during the school day. More information will be shared once services become available. School Based Health Centers  During the month of December, the Robert E. Appleby school-based health centers, located at West Rocks Middle School and Norwalk High School, conducted 217 student medical and behavioral health appointments; the Norwalk Community Health Center school-based health centers, located at Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy/CMS and Brien McMahon High School, conducted 387 student medical and behavioral health appointments.  A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for the NCHC Family Health and Wellness Center, located at the Family Center, on Jan. 27. The health and wellness center will begin operations on Jan. 28. Construction is complete at the NCHC school-based health center at Kendall College and Career Academy. The space is in the process of being outfitted and licensed. Grants The Grants Team has been busy working on a mid-year audit to monitor the health and spending of our current portfolio of grants. We continue to work with the budget team on grant allocations for the 2025-26 school year. We’re happy to announce that Jefferson, Ponus, and Brien McMahon were awarded acceptance into the Tri-State Blue Schools Network for Marine Science Education. This affiliation comes with an additional $24,000 to support our Marine Science Pathway.
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Curriculum, Instruction & Specialized Learning
Humanities
As part of our commitment to continuous professional development and enhancing student learning experiences, middle school social studies teachers recently engaged in professional learning centered on the new inquiry framework. This framework is designed to cultivate a trustworthy classroom environment that prioritizes critical thinking, deliberation, collaboration and production.
Key highlights of the professional learning included:
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Strategies to foster critical thinking and respectful discourse in classrooms.
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Collaborative planning to align inquiry-based learning with state standards and curriculum goals.
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Practical applications to encourage students to analyze diverse perspectives, engage in meaningful discussions, and create informed, evidence-based outcomes.
Teachers left the professional learning experience with actionable strategies to develop students’ critical thinking skills while fostering inquiry-driven learning.
We are confident that this continuous learning will positively impact classroom practices, equipping students with the skills to think critically and engage meaningfully with social studies content.
Mathematics/STEM
It has been a busy time thus far in 2025! The STEM department has been supporting schools with data work and co-planning with schools on areas that may need additional support and professional learning opportunities. Additionally, this week we led coaches in diving into accountability measures and strengthening instructional systems and supports to prepare students for success on assessments.
Collaboration on high school midterms has been successful again this year, and all schools have chosen and communicated the midterm performance task they will be implementing in core math courses.
Multilingual Learners
The Multilingual Learner Department is busy supporting our schools with the annual English language proficiency assessment, LAS Links, as required by the Connecticut State Department of Education. This assessment measures English language proficiency and Multilingual Learner scholars’ growth from year to year. The results inform schools on how to best support students with their English language development.
Additionally, we are excited for our next Multilingual Learner Sub-committee presentation scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. Please join us at the link below:
To view the agenda and information Please click here.
TO WATCH LIVESTREAM ON YOUTUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9LWomxX4LEEyBL2pTOqBw
PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE ACCEPTED VIA E-MAIL (until 4pm the day of the meeting):
boepubliccomments@norwalkps.org
Specialized Learning
New Teacher Academy was held on Dec. 17, and Joseph Baynes worked with new staff on understanding Best Practices for PPT Facilitation. Education Administrators are working with Hanover Research to develop a better understanding of how special education staffing levels, caseloads and resource allocation differ across its elementary, middle and high schools. We aim to ensure that special education staff are optimally distributed based on student service hours and workload intensity, and to explore how these factors may correlate with district-wide Special Education outcomes. To support this effort, NPS is partnering with Hanover Research to analyze school-level data to assess special education staffing ratios, caseload intensity, and resource distribution. Hanover will also compare service intensity and workload across different schools and grade levels, with the goal of identifying inefficiencies and recommending adjustments that optimize staffing and resource allocation. The results of this study will provide the district with actionable insights to improve both the effectiveness and equity of its special education program.
SRBI
Dr. Perry led a great Professional development on Monday. She focused improvement teachers on data and the Social Emotional framework from the state. They also focused on the state accountability data from district-wide assessments.
Digital Learning & Technology
Enterprise Software/Data
Our team has been focused on the following key tasks:
- Finalizing and preparing DRC Las Links updates for all devices in anticipation of the Jan. 6 start date.
- Exploring and addressing the process of importing NWEA and DIBELS 8 scores into DESSA, with a solution to be implemented as soon as possible.
- Researching methods to provide "class sets" of e-books to all students and staff, with an initial focus on a request from Ponus Ridge.
Infrastructure/Operations
The E-rate Form 470 has been posted, and we are currently receiving bids. The bid window will close in 28 days, after which we will begin the evaluation process.
During the holiday break, the Technology Department upgraded the storage capacity of our backup system, enabling extended retention times for critical backups.
Digital Learning
Coaches are developing mini-AI workshops designed to help staff manage operational tasks, such as email management and communication. A schedule of 20- to 45-minute sessions will be available to staff starting at the end of January.
FRP-Twilight
A reminder that the midyear graduation ceremony will be held on Jan. 29 at CGS at 4 p.m.
Finance
Budget
The revised a la carte pricing has been finalized in conjunction with the recent rollout of the new credit card payment option at high schools. This initiative offers multiple benefits, including the potential for increased food service revenue and the introduction of new and exciting a la carte food options for students and staff to enjoy during lunchtime.
The budget team continues to refine the FY2025-26 Superintendent Recommended Budget, incorporating updates related to new employee hires, transfers and other recent budget assumptions. The FY2025-26 Superintendent Recommended Budget will be presented to the BOE.
In the interest of transparency, charts and presentations based on data and analysis have been developed and will be shared with the public. These infographics and presentations, created in collaboration with the Finance and Communications teams, are designed to provide clarity on the budget and emphasize the implications of not receiving the full funding request. Parents, staff and the community are encouraged to advocate for school funding by reaching out to Common Council members for support.
Both staff and the public are directed to the NPS Budget Website, which serves as a key resource for the latest budget updates. The site includes an overview of the budget, historical context, a timeline, relevant media stories, and FAQs. The Budget in Brief (BIB) has also been completed and will soon be available on the website.
The Elementary School Governance Council (SGC) meeting was held on Jan. 8. The upcoming SGC meetings for high schools and middle schools are scheduled for Jan. 15. The Board of Education Meeting, during which the Superintendent's Recommended Operating & Capital Budget for FY2025-26 will be presented for review and approval, is set for Jan. 14.
The team is currently preparing for the Student-Based Budgeting (SBB) meetings. The SBB files are being updated, and internal meetings with the HR team are being held to review the process and budget initiatives for FY2025-26.
Grants
The Grants Team has had a productive period, making significant progress on the Education Financial System Desk Audit for the state, with a focus on resolving issues related to the Interdistrict Magnet School Grant. The team is also advancing the budgeting process for the Title I allocation for the 2025-26 school year, and approval is expected soon. Collaboration with the Marine Science program leadership has ensured alignment between the grant and program objectives. Additionally, the team has met with the Magnet Schools Assistance Program team to review spending and cross-check Year 2 budgets, ensuring proper fund allocation for the current year.
Purchasing and Accounts Payable
As the second quarter concludes, the Purchasing and Accounts Payable Team has been diligently addressing and closing over 1,000 open purchase orders, a critical component of the financial process. They have successfully taken over the booking of My School Bucks deposits from City Finance, enhancing the timeliness and accuracy of transaction posting and reconciliation.
Capital Projects
The Capital Projects team has made significant progress on several initiatives. The payment request for the New South Norwalk School project, totaling $7,895,437.00, has been finalized, submitted, and approved by the Office of Grants Administration. The team has also updated and reviewed General Ledger summaries for both the New South Norwalk and Norwalk High School projects to ensure financial accuracy. Furthermore, a signed letter was submitted to the Office of Grants Administration for the approval of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning projects, advancing essential facility improvements.