Annual Report 2007-2008(color).pub - Town of South Windsor

Board of Education
Dr. Robert Kozaczka
Superintendent of Schools
Personnel Milestones
The 2007/2008 school year was marked by key
changes in district administration. James
Graffam, Wapping School Principal retired and
was replaced by Laura Hickson. Ms. Hickson
came to us from East Hartford where she led
several early literacy initiatives. Michael Tortora
was appointed Principal of Orchard Hill School
replacing Bridget Braney. Mr. Tortora was
previously Assistant Principal at Oliver Ellsworth
School in Windsor, Connecticut. Dr. Mary Murray,
Reading Language Arts Curriculum Specialist
retired and she was replaced by Diana Roberge
Wentzel. Ms. Wentzel previously served as a
consultant with the Capitol Region Education
Council.
South Windsor District Test Results
Connecticut Mastery Test
(March 2008)
The Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) is a
criterion-referenced test administered throughout
the state in the spring to students in grades three
through eight. The tests are designed to assess
essential reading, writing, and mathematics skills
that can reasonably be mastered by students by
the middle of their present grade. This was the
first year that a science CMT was administered to
fifth and eighth-grade students.
The 2008 test administration was the third year of
a new “generation” (version) of CMT; therefore,
comparisons can be made with the baseline
scores established in 2006. The March 2008
South Windsor CMT scores exceeded the state
average in all areas. A trend continues to show
that the percentage of students at or above
proficient level and goal level increases steadily
as students progress through the grades in all
three content areas of math, reading, and writing.
Students who achieve proficiency level
demonstrate adequate grade-level knowledge of
the state math, reading, and writing standards.
Students who achieve goal level demonstrate
extensive grade-level knowledge of the state
standards. The data shows that we need to focus
our efforts on ensuring that all cohorts of students
are making adequate yearly progress according
to the federal No Child Left Behind legislation.
Currently students with disabilities and low
income students are not meeting the rigorous
standards set by the state.
Connecticut Academic Performance Test
(March 2008)
The Connecticut Academic Performance Test
(CAPT) assesses and reports on student
performance in four content areas: mathematics,
Reading Across the Disciplines (based on a
Response to Literature test and a Reading for
Information test), Writing Across the Disciplines
(based on two Interdisciplinary Writing tests and
an Editing & Revising test), and science. The
CAPT focuses on how well students apply what
they have learned in school to situations they
may face throughout their lives.
The March 2008 CAPT was the second
administration of the third generation CAPT. The
data indicates that South Windsor students
perform well above the state average on every
subtest. Furthermore, comparing 2008 test
scores with 2007, South Windsor significantly
improved overall performance in mathematics,
science, and Writing Across the Disciplines.
Modest improvements were achieved in Reading
Across the Disciplines.
The district continues to focus on literacy skills
across all content areas. All teachers (K-12)
across all content areas work collectively to
improve student literacy achievement by setting
specific achievement goals for students.
Neighborhood Schools
On January 8, 2008 the Board of Education
approved a Neighborhood Schools proposal and
requested that the Town Council authorize a
referendum in the amount of $115,700,000. The
Neighborhood Schools proposal included the
construction of new Orchard Hill and Eli Terry
Elementary Schools. Pleasant Valley Elementary
School and P. R. Smith Elementary School would
be renovated as new. The Neighborhood Schools
construction would occur in a series of steps
called “phased construction”. In general, building
new space first would create swing space to
allow renovations to proceed without having
students in the building during construction. The
projected time line would have phased
construction occur over a four-year period.
8 | Town of South Windsor: Annual Report 2007/2008