Board Update: Jan 24, 2025

Testing & Accountability 

This month, seven schools received training on the use of CSDE’s Centralized Reporting System and interim assessments. These assessments have the same item types and formats as Smarter Balanced summative assessments but are shorter in length. Within a content area, educators can drill down to an area of focus, such as reading and then to specific skills within the area. Teachers have access to student responses through the Centralized Reporting System. This tool helps teachers focus classroom instruction on the supports students need most. Teachers may also use interim assessments in non-standard ways. They can weave questions from interim assessments into classroom activities.   

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, five schools have undergone the School Quality Review: West Rocks Middle School, Concord Magnet School, Center for Global Studies, Kendall College and Career Magnet, and Marvin Elementary School. Their reports are in the quality assurance process and drafts. The next school receiving an SQR will be Cranbury Elementary School on Wednesday-Thursday, Jan. 29 and Jan. 30, 2025.   

Research & Analytics  

We conducted dashboard demos with Fox Run, Tracey, Jefferson, Ponus, and Specialized Learning Department. The team also worked with Assistant Principals to integrate more specific Smarter Balanced testing data into data dashboards to support comparing assessment, triangulating, and predicting performance on future tests. 

In collaboration with Curriculum and Leadership Development, members of the team participated in learning walks at a number of our elementary and middle schools. Learning walks are comprised of brief classroom visits that allow district and school leadership to create a shared understanding of best practices, determine trends in instruction, identify strengths and develop next steps for professional development and support.  

Student Information System 

High School Grade 9 Lottery ran on Jan. 21.

Elementary lottery applications will be available to families on Jan. 30 at the time of the Elementary Showcase. 

Online registration for the 2025-26 school year will be available starting Feb. 3. 

January District Wide Learning Walks 

On Jan. 22 and Jan. 23, the central office team in - collaboration with school leaders - conducted our second round of learning walks for the 2024-25 school year. During the learning walks, we observed significant growth in the level of critical thinking that is happening across our schools. We will continue to use information gathered during the learning walks to inform future professional learning for our leaders and educators.

Early Career Principals PLC

Our early career principals engaged in a meaningful session on distributive leadership and developing the leadership capacity of key staff members. This session was facilitated by veteran principals Dr. Damon Lewis and Jane Wilkins.  This PLC is a safe space for our early career leaders to identify critical leadership moves that will impact their school communities and lead to increased student achievement. 

Food Services 

This week, the NPS Food Service Team and Chartwells will be serving our students tasty sugar snap peas and sweet blood oranges. Learning & Tasting: Snap Peas and Learning & Tasting: Blood Oranges are always great. Next week, our 10 schools will be trying Rainbow Chard and Pineberries. 

Norwalk Food Service Department was informed last week that the PHASE 2 Local Food for Schools Incentive Program or LFSIP has been increased to $44,100.28. This is an increase of $18,978.87 from the original amount granted in October! These funds will be used to purchase more locally grown fruits, vegetables, syrup, even meats for our students to enjoy! 

The Apple Pay Experience has begun at the high schools this week and new items listed here are available at both Middle and High schools. 

A high school student survey will be sent out to our students this week to find out how we can make their cafeteria experience a better one.  

Facilities 

Tracey and Brookside Underground Storage Tanks: Bid opening is scheduled for January 23, and this project will take place during the summer of 2025. 

HVAC Grant: The City is conducting interviews on Jan. 23, for a Construction Manager who will be leading five of the projects.  This work will take place during the summer of 2025 & 2026 and includes Brien McMahon, Brookside, Marvin, Naramake, Rowayton & Silvermine. 

Tracey Air Conditioning: Bid opening is scheduled for Jan. 30, and this project will take place during the summer of 2025.    

Fox Run floor tile asbestos abatement: Plans, specifications and a professional cost estimate is available and will be presented at the Jan. 29, Facilities Committee Mtg. and the February 5, Land Use Mtg. as part of the project filing with the State. This project will take place during the summer of 2025. 

Cranbury Solar Panels: Final design and project planning are in place for Verogy to install a solar array at Cranbury during the summer of 2025. 

School Construction Projects: Both the SoNo School and Norwalk High School/P-TECH school construction projects are on schedule. Look how far along the SoNo project is in the photo above. Click here to see the progress of the NHS/P-TECH Project.  

School Safety 

In January, schools conducted their third Lockdown Drill of the school year. Emergency Response Drills ensure that students and staff are prepared on the Emergency Response Protocols. Schools conduct 13 drills total each year covering each Emergency Response Protocol. You can review the NPS Lockdown Protocol as well as the other Emergency Response Protocols on the Norwalk Public Schools YouTube page below. 

NPS Safety Video - Lockdown Procedures - YouTube 

Health Services 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the Norwalk Community Health Center Family Health and Wellness Center is scheduled for Jan. 27. This site will provide medical and behavioral health services, as well as care coordination, to incoming and current NPS students and their families. Its staff there include those who are Creole-speaking. 

With construction complete, NCHC continues to outfit the Kendall College and Career Academy school-based health center in anticipation of a Spring opening. 

A Norwalk Community Health Center pilot mobile dental program is being devised at one NPS elementary school in an effort to identify and meet the dental needs of students. The mobile unit will provide dental assessments and cleanings with parental consent and return 6 months later. Services will be provided regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. The program outcome will be evaluated and expansion to other schools considered if indicated. 

Third grade height and weights will be collected by school nurses as part of a study in collaboration with the Norwalk Health Department. Additionally, nurses will evaluate fifth grade females for signs of scoliosis as part of state mandated screenings. 

Grants 

The Grants Team is pleased to, once again, partner with The Carver on our Extended School Hours Grant for the 2024-25 school year.  

This year, in alignment with our Strategic Plan, we prioritized applications in our elementary schools who will design and implement after school math and literacy intervention programs. The following schools were awarded ESH Grants: Brookside, Fox Run, Jefferson, Kendall, Marvin, Naramake, Tracey, Wolfpit, Silvermine and South Norwalk Neighborhood School.  

Humanities 

Social Studies teachers have begun implementing Building Block Inquiries, a framework designed to enhance student engagement and build knowledge through inquiry. This approach centers on three core components: Deliberation, Collaboration, and Production.

●      Deliberation: Core instructional practices allow students to speak and listen to each other’s ideas.

●      Collaboration: Core instructional practices that enable students to work with others to solve problems through teamwork.

●      Production: Core instructional practices that empower students to construct meaningful work.

By providing students the space to think (deliberate ideas), talk (collaborate around ideas), and do (produce ideas), teachers are fostering a culture of trust in the classroom. This trust nurtures key attitudes such as empathy, interdependence, and agency, accelerating inquiry-based learning.

A teacher recently shared their success with this approach:

"Playing the song and having students simply follow along with the lyric sheet, and highlighting a few lines that resonated with them, was a VERY effective Entry Point. I now see the value in Entry Points. The lesson flowed very well with individual work, group work, partner work, and whole-class activities. It was engaging and current. Having the three components—Deliberate, Collaborate, Produce—kept students active and busy, and moved things along very quickly."

This feedback underscores the power of Building Block Inquiries to make learning engaging, reflective, and productive. Teachers are helping students build more knowledge and critical thinking skills by integrating individual reflection, collaborative problem-solving, and meaningful production.

Mathematics/STEM

Last week an intervisitation was done between Rowayton and Fox Run schools to see Building Thinking Classroom pedagogy with an IM grade 4 lesson.  The visit included time in a teachers classroom as well as debrief for questions. Special thank you to the schools, coaches, and teachers involved to spread best practices across the district. 

This year, the Trout in the Classroom program has expanded to include six Norwalk schools. Silvermine, Tracey, Jefferson, West Rocks, Nathan Hale, and Brien McMahon recently received several hundred trout eggs. Students in these schools will actively engage in hatching, and caring for these fish. In May, students will release the young fish into the Silvermine River behind Silvermine Elementary School.

Multilingual Learners

The Multilingual Learner team is continuing to support schools with the administration of the LAS Links assessment. The LAS Links is the annual English language proficiency assessment required by the Connecticut State Department of Education.  Our team has been inside the schools to assist with the proctoring of the assessment and supporting administration with the logistics.

Additionally, we were excited to present at the Multilingual Learner Subcommittee meeting last Wednesday night!  We shared information regarding Multilingual Learner data, registration information, professional learning opportunities, and events from the Family Center.  To watch the video from YouTube, please visit:

https://www.youtube.com/live/1HFrFCeNoX0?si=yFxrRMP0gC0XQCjY

Specialized Learning 

On Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025 the Specialized Learning Department hosted their monthly new teacher academy professional learning for all new staff. The topic was on evaluation and report writing.  

The Specialized Learning Department will be holding its first Parent Advisory Group meeting on Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. at the Family Center.  It will be an introductory meeting where we will discuss what future topics the community wishes to discuss.  

The Specialized Learning Department will also have a table at the Elementary Choice Fair on Jan. 30.  We will be answering any questions families may have about services at our elementary schools.  

Norwalk Next Steps was again selected as the beneficiary of the O’Neils 5k in memory of Annie Curtain.  The program utilizes the funds to support community outings and other unique opportunities to enhance learning for the Norwalk Next Steps Students.  The students have internship opportunities at O’Neills during the school year, and also volunteer during the planning stages of the 5k, culminating in their participation on race day.

Project Search held its information night on Jan. 22. Several families attended, and we are anticipating several potential participants both from other school Districts, and also funded by DDS for the 205-26 school year.

Digital Learning

We are proud to recognize Dan Kreiness, our Digital Learning Coach at Norwalk High School, for his presentations at the Future of Education Conference last week. His two sessions were:

Innovating with Design Thinking and 3D Printing

This session introduced educators to the principles of design thinking and their application using 3D printing technology. Participants learned how to guide students through the design thinking process, including empathizing, defining problems, ideating, prototyping, and testing solutions, while using 3D printers to bring ideas to life. Practical examples, project ideas, and hands-on activities were provided to help educators effectively integrate 3D printing into their curriculum.

Coaching Through Resistance: A Growth Mindset Approach

This session focused on strategies for instructional coaches to support teachers resistant to change. Using a growth mindset approach, participants explored how to foster an environment that encourages risk-taking, continuous improvement, and resilience. The session included practical techniques for addressing resistance, building trust, and guiding teachers in adopting new instructional strategies and technologies.

Library Media & AI Committee

On January 21, 2025, Casey Andersen (CMS) and Katie Angelidis (Kendall) earned their SCSU Credly badges for completing the AI Micro-Credentialing Course. Katie Angelidis is also attending a National Technology Conference this week in Florida.

The AI Committee invited DLD Coaches, Data Analyst Dr. Kimberly Erickson, and the Communications Department to the January meeting. Dr. Erickson presented on the integration of AI, Digital Promise, and POG frameworks. The team reviewed the Student-Facing and Teacher-Facing documents and discussed their rollout. Additionally, various training formats were explored to ensure effective implementation. Collaborating with multiple departments on AI initiatives strengthens sustainability efforts.

FRP - Twilight

A reminder that our mid-year graduation ceremony will take place on January 29th at 4:00 PM at CGS. We are proud to have 11 scholars graduating.

Budget

On Jan. 14, the Norwalk Board of Education approved the Superintendent’s Recommended Budget, which includes a 9.7% increase to the General Fund. This request has now moved to the City of Norwalk for further consideration.

On Thursday, Jan. 22, the Joint Meeting of the Board of Education Finance Committee and the Common Council’s Finance & Claims Committee was held. During this session, the Chief Financial Officer of Norwalk Public Schools presented key issues impacting the Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget.

To provide stakeholders with a clear overview of the budget proposal, the Budget in Brief document has been prepared and is available in multiple languages:

• Click here for the Budget in Brief (English edition) | Download PDF
• Click here for the Budget in Brief (Spanish edition) | Download PDF
• Click here for the Budget in Brief (Haitian Creole edition) | Download PDF

In addition to these high-level financial activities, the Finance Department team has been working on several critical tasks:

• Salary & Benefits Updates: The department has been updating salary and benefit information for budgeting purposes, creating salary forecasts, and processing data changes related to new hires, transfers, and salary adjustments. Position Control Number (PCN) maintenance has also been a focus.
• Financial Forecasting & Ledger Management: General ledger summaries are being updated, with meetings held across schools and departments to discuss remaining Fiscal Year 2024-25 spending. A full-year forecast for local funding is in progress, along with processing journal entries, budget transfers, and special education invoices.

Grants

Efforts continue to strategically allocate grant funding to support district initiatives while offsetting local budget increases. Recent work includes:

• Shifting Local Expenses to Grants: To mitigate the impact of next year’s budget increase, local expenses are being reassigned to grant funding sources where appropriate.
• Stronger Connection Grant: Meetings with the Special Education and Curriculum teams have been conducted to map out the allocation of this grant, which will provide support for Special Education expenses.
• Behavioral Health Grant: The final drawdown of this grant has been successfully completed, totaling $705,841.75.
• Title I & ESH Funding: Collaboration with all schools continues to ensure effective utilization of Title I and ESH funds. General Ledger (GL) reviews are ongoing to assess spending and maintain financial alignment.

Purchasing & Accounts Payable

A significant system enhancement is underway to improve procurement processes.

Tyler Technologies/Munis eProcurement Implementation: The configuration and implementation of the Munis eProcurement module is scheduled for next Tuesday. Once completed, this will allow users to directly link their requisitions and purchase orders to vendors, enabling real-time transaction recording within Munis.

This implementation represents a significant step in streamlining purchasing workflows and improving efficiency across departments.

Capital Projects

• Capital Cash Flow Estimates: The Capital Projects Cash Flow Quarterly Estimate has been updated for submission to the City of Norwalk’s Finance Department.
• Capital Project Spending: Collaboration with various capital teams is ongoing to track future spending and expenses.
• General Ledger Summaries: Updates have been completed for the South Norwalk (SONO) Capital Project and Norwalk High School Capital Projects.
• Error Corrections: A review process uncovered and resolved several clerical errors made by the Law Department related to capital expenses.
• Invoice Processing: Multiple invoices for various capital projects have been processed to ensure smooth financial operations.

The Norwalk Public Schools Finance Department remains committed to transparency, strategic financial management, and supporting the district’s mission through sound fiscal practices. Updates will continue to be provided as budget discussions progress.