Board Update: Jan 23, 2026

Research & Analytics

The Research & Analytics team has been collaborating with Curriculum and school leaders to finalize the Grade 5 to Grade 6 articulation process, which includes family selection of sixth-grade elective courses and educator recommendations for advanced coursework. The team is currently finalizing the family survey that will be sent to fifth-grade families, and in early February, elementary schools will distribute course request forms. Families will have until March 27 to submit their selections.

Attendance efforts also continue districtwide. Chronic absenteeism rates have declined following a spike in February, and targeted supports and interventions remain in place to drive continued improvement. Schools were recently provided with a list of students who have accumulated 10 or 11 absences this school year—students who are currently considered chronically absent but could exit that status by attending school every day through the end of February. In addition to receiving a ParentSquare communication encouraging daily attendance, schools will be reaching out to students with a supportive touchpoint.

Testing & Accountability

The Connecticut State Department of Education mandates the use of approved literacy universal screening assessments for students in Grades K–3 to identify reading difficulties and support early intervention. Norwalk Public Schools uses Amplify DIBELS 8 for this purpose. The winter assessment window closed on January 21, and results are currently being analyzed at the district, grade, and school levels, with comparisons to Fall 2025–26 and Winter 2024–25. This year, CSDE is collecting this data and plans to publicly report statewide results.

The NWEA mid-year testing window will open on January 28. Students in Grades K–8 will participate in reading and math assessments. NWEA achievement and growth norms will be used to measure student progress. The district will prepare summary reports, and the online platform will continue to provide access to detailed results, including data at the classroom level.

Upcoming School Visits

During this upcoming round of school visits, we will continue to include a leadership discussion, classroom visits, and a data review.  Student focus groups are an excellent opportunity to hear directly from our students and this round of school visits will include a focus group with 7-12 students from each school.  Their experiences and perspectives provide us with important feedback and insides to drive our continued improvement efforts.

Mid Year Progress Monitoring

Schools are in the process of administering and analyzing various data sets to identify areas of celebration and areas for growth during the second half of the school year.  This data includes, but is not limited to, math and literacy/ELA achievement and growth, attendance data, and sense of belonging data.  This data will also be used to identify schools for targeted support.

Food Services

Our cafeterias are serving up excitement over the next few weeks with engaging menus and student favorites across our secondary schools. On February 5, Global Eats Day will invite students and staff to enjoy a flavorful menu featuring Caribbean Jerk Chicken, Brown Rice, and Coleslaw, bringing bold Caribbean-inspired flavors to our school cafeterias. On February 10, Chartwells will highlight everyone’s favorite “nature’s candy,” clementines, offering a fresh and nutritious fruit option that students know and love. Try It Thursday also returns with a hummus sampling, encouraging students to explore new foods and flavors in a fun, interactive way. Beginning February 27 and continuing every Friday during Lent, fish options will be available, providing students with additional meal choices during the Lenten season.

School Safety

At our most recent District Safety Meeting, the Safe School Climate Policy was reviewed, and schools are actively working to complete their Safe School Climate Improvement Plans. Each school has identified a Safe School Climate Specialist who will lead the building-based committee to foster a positive and sustained school climate. Specialists are guiding their teams in developing building-specific plans using Panorama survey data, a self-assessment rubric, and other relevant data sources. District staff will meet with each Safe School Climate Specialist over the next few weeks to provide support and assist in finalizing their plans.

Health Services

School Health Services remains committed to creating safe, comprehensive plans for all students, including those with specialized health needs. SHS conducts home visits, communicates with hospitals and medical professionals, and collaborates with Special Education to assess student health needs and ensure access to education. In addition, SHS works closely with city departments, including social services, to advocate for and connect families with needed supports.

Summer School planning is underway, and SHS has fully staffed all required summer school buildings with registered nurses. Additional nurses have been identified to accompany students with specialized health needs on field trips, as needed. During the month of December, the Human Services Council and Dr. Robert E. Appleby school-based health centers located at Norwalk High School/P-TECH, West Rocks Middle School, and Nathan Hale Middle School provided 247 medical and behavioral health appointments to students. During the same period, the Norwalk Community Health Center school-based health centers located at Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy/Concord Magnet School, Brien McMahon High School/Center for Global Studies, and The Family Center Health and Wellness Center provided 513 medical and behavioral health appointments to NPS students. The State of Connecticut has confirmed that immunization requirements for enrollment and compliance have not changed.

Humanities

Instructional walkthroughs took place across the district. Teachers continue to hone their craft as teachers and it is evident in their planning and use of instructional materials in grades K-12.  Coaches continue to dive into instructional resources and are currently working on deepening their knowledge on utilizing questions to support student learning in the areas of critical thinking and effective communicators.  

STEM Update

The STEM department has been busy seeing instruction across our schools.  Members from the team participated in the district learning walks last week where we saw all types of instruction, not just math or science.  Additionally, piloting of the new Science curricula has resulted in many instructional visits to piloting schools.  Teachers are sharing positive feedback about the resources being implemented and students are engaging in hands-on activities that align to the 5Es of science instruction.  

Improvement teachers are about to pilot iReady for math intervention benchmarking and progress monitoring. This tool is being implemented in many other districts across CT.  The training session is scheduled for January 29th. 

Marine Science

Classroom Updates

• Jefferson Elementary: We are excited to welcome new fish species to the marine lab! The students are already eager to begin their observations.
• West Rocks Middle School: A brand new planted tank has just been installed. We look forward to watching this ecosystem settle and grow in the coming weeks.

Community Partnerships

• Maritime Aquarium Visit: West Rocks hosted educators from the Maritime Aquarium this week! They visited 6th and 8th-grade classrooms to lead engaging lessons ahead of the students' upcoming field trips.

Teacher Collaboration

• Professional Growth: Science teachers from Jefferson and Tracey Elementary continued their professional learning this week, attending council meetings focused on Science, Math, and Technical Education.

MLL Update 

The Multilingual Learner Department presented at the Norwalk Public Schools Board of Education Business Meeting on Tuesday, January 20th. The presentation highlighted the district’s Multilingual Learner programs and services, including instructional support, student progress, and ongoing initiatives designed to ensure equitable access to high-quality education for all multilingual learners.

To learn more about the programs and services discussed, please see the link below for a copy of the full presentation.

NPS Bilingual Programs and Services

Specialized Learning 

The Department of Specialized Learning held its monthly New Teacher Academy on Tuesday January 20, 2026. Staff learned about the importance of Present Levels of Academic Performance and Educational benefit on the IEP. The information was presented by Special Education Administrator Aimee Boyle. It was a great turnout and a great day of learning for all.  

School Counseling and Workforce Development

​The District Attendance Team works closely with each schools’ Attendance Team to examine attendance data, provide resources and support for the team, scholars, and families. Did you know that a scholar's attendance can predict how successful they will be in school and beyond? Children ​who are chronically absent in kindergarten and 1^st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3^rd grade.​ We love to see our scholars in school every day, as #AttendanceMatters. Jessica Vivenzio, Director of Behavioral Health at the Family & Children’s Agency, met with the Elementary and High School Counseling teams to review available programming for scholars and their families.​ The Triangle Community Center has a Food Pantry Open to All. If interested, please reach out to Wendy McCaffee at wendym@ctpridecenter.com. The College & Career Specialists are working with scholars to support them with job exploration/applications​, scholarships, and NPS Internships, to name a few.

NPS Families PreK - 1​4th ​are invited to attend The NPS School Counselor Series Workshop: Managing Stress & Anxiety in Children Workshop on January 29th at 5 - 6 pm at the Family Center.​ Save the Date for the Raising Resilient Children Workshop on February 5th at 5 pm.

     
CT State Norwalk and NPS are offering free continuing education and certification courses for Spring 2026. An application is required, and seats are limited, #Don’tDelay, ApplyToday! In January, Future Ready scholars participated in Workforce Development Workshops at school focused on Apprenticeships, Trades, and Training Opportunities. Also in January, an NPS Workforce Development Workshop was held for NPS Alumni, Families, and Scholars aged 18+, focusing on entering the trades and applying for apprenticeships. The Regional Sector Partnership Conference was attended at Central CT State University. There is an exciting new program in a Healthcare Career Pathway for Ages 18 - 25. This program is open to our scholars and their families who may be interested in pursuing a career in Administrative Medical Assistant, Certified Nurses Aide (CNA), and Community Healthcare Worker (CHW). Save the Date for the NPS Trade Series: A Day in the Life of a Plumber and HVAC Technician on March 26th from 5 pm - 6 pm.

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!

Early Childhood Education

Norwalk Public Schools Early Childhood Education is thrilled to announce the launch of new Smart Start Full-Day Pre-Kindergarten programs. Beginning this January 2026 these classrooms will be open to students at both the South Norwalk School and Wolfpit School.

About the Program Smart Start is a state-funded initiative designed to expand access to high-quality preschool education. These classrooms are integrated directly into our local elementary schools and led by certified teachers, ensuring that students receive the academic and social foundation necessary for Kindergarten readiness.

Enrollment & Eligibility This program is open to 3- and 4-year-olds. Enrollment is prioritized for families with financial need, with tuition typically offered on a sliding scale or at no cost to eligible families.

Enterprise Software

We successfully launched the NorwalkPS Agent AI assistant within ClassLink. This chat-based tool is specifically designed to support employees by providing guidance on HR & Benefits topics, including pay, leave, insurance, and professional growth, while strictly adhering to the district's standards for ethical and secure AI use.

Data analysis was completed for software usage metrics collected between August and December. These findings have been shared with Central Office curriculum leaders to inform instructional planning and program decision-making across the district.

We continued our partnership with the Norwalk Public Library by providing the most recent student data, aimed at increasing student awareness and utilization of library services and resources.

Significant progress was made on multiple ongoing application projects. This included finalizing preparations for the Panorama Survey, completing requirements for mid-year (MOY) state reporting, and executing integrations and updates for key platforms such as College Board/Naviance, i-Ready, Learning A-Z, SAT Bluebook, and WeVideo.

Digital Learning

As of this month, our elementary Library Media Specialists and Gifted & Talented (GT) teachers, in close collaboration with Digital Learning Coaches, have initiated introductory lessons focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy.

Program: Library

AI Focus: "SMART Detectives"

Key Learning Objective: Students learn how AI functions, understand the concept of AI errors (hallucinations), and recognize the paramount importance of fact-checking and accuracy.

Program: GT Classes

AI Focus: "Co-piloting"

Key Learning Objective: Students utilize AI as a collaborative brainstorming tool to tackle complex projects, emphasizing that human elements—specifically creativity and empathy—are the ultimate source of value in their work.

Across both settings, we are embedding the SMART Framework (Seek Permission, Make it Your Own, Acknowledge Sources, Review for Accuracy, Think Critically) as outlined in our district AI Guidebook.

In ongoing curriculum support, Stefanie Barry is continuing her collaboration with third and fourth-grade teachers at Kendall on the Science and Social Studies curriculum, leveraging modern AI tools including MagicSchool AI, NotebookLM, and Google Vids.

Additionally, Jodi Flom Nathanson (Fox Run LMS) and Stefanie Barry are co-leading an AI Literacy initiative. This project introduces a choice activity utilizing a MagicSchool AI student room, with the specific instructional focus being the impacts of AI on the environment.

Budget
The Budget team continued routine fiscal management and budget alignment work. Updated and distributed 2025–2026 General Ledger summaries for schools and central office departments. Budget requests for FY 2026–2027 were updated to reflect tentatively approved levels and City Chief Financial Officer–recommended levels in both Munis and supporting Excel workbooks. Ongoing responsibilities also included processing special education invoices, districtwide journal entries, and budget transfers to ensure accurate financial reporting.

The CFO presented a FY26-27 Budget Development update to the Elementary and Secondary School SGCs. The FY26 27 budget development updates were also presented to the BOE Finance Committee and subsequently shared with the BOE during their Business Meeting. In addition, a meeting was held with the district demographer to review FY26 27 enrollment projections.

The CFO also participated in a call with the State Comptroller’s Office to hear an update on employee health insurance for municipalities participating in the State Partnership Plan. Preliminary indications suggest that health insurance costs for employees enrolled in the state plan are expected to increase by approximately 15%. 

Grants
During this reporting period, the Grants Team submitted multiple grant funding requests totaling $5,555,396.50. This included $3,729,573.67 in funding requests submitted through the Grants Alliance and $1,066,306.86 submitted for Priority Schools. Additional submissions included an MSAP funding request totaling $612,467.82 and a Marine Science Grant request totaling $147,048.15.

In addition to grant submissions, the Grants Team continued balancing and reconciling the FY 2026–2027 budget, including entering Title I allocations into the School-Based Budgeting (SBB) system in preparation for the February and March SBB meetings. The team also completed multiple current-year budget revisions, reallocating funds between object codes to align with evolving district priorities and operational needs.

Purchasing and Accounts Payable
Accounts Payable activity remained high during the reporting period. Invoice entry was completed for the week of January 8 through January 14, 2026, totaling 146 invoices. New purchase orders were reviewed and issued to vendors, and new vendor setups were processed.

Weekly ESS invoice distributions were prepared and sent for signature to facilitate timely payment, along with the monthly W.B. Mason invoice review and distribution for approval. The Accounts Payable team also actively managed the AP email inbox, addressing and resolving all open invoice inquiries to maintain accurate and timely payment processing.

Capital
During this reporting period, the Capital Team prepared Norwalk High School Payment Request No. 5, which is scheduled for submission this week. The team also met with the Director of Facilities to prepare for the submission of two non-priority construction grant applications to the State of Connecticut: the Nathan Hale Abatement Project and the 46 Concord Oil Tank Project.

In addition, the Capital Team continued standard operations, including the processing and payment of invoices and ongoing coordination with the State of Connecticut regarding South Norwalk School payment requests.