ANSONIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

focusing our attention and will be working vigorously this year with the high school. Dr. Gasper said the science column showsa decline. Our District Improvement Plan (DIP) does not address science. We have purchased new science kits for theelementary level and these will give teachers more resources. Mr. Nimons asked if other districts have the same K-3 issues.Dr. Gasper said he has not looked into that yet but knows for us it has been a problematic trend in these areas. We areworking on these issues now with Bridget Calabrese, our new language arts coordinator. It is tough to thoroughly get students’abilities at that grade level because their reading and writing abilities are so undeveloped at that point. We will be looking tosee if there are other districts we can learn from but also use our own assessments and resources to better help teachers.Dr. Gasper said he included in his report a sample of the curriculum that was written over the summer. Curriculum waswritten three consecutive days during the summer with 39 of our teachers who wrote 29 curricula. There was space left forgrowth in the future. This was an impressive turnout which translates into one in five classroom teachers participating. Dr.Gasper said they hope to find funding to continue this in the years to come because we need about three to four more years ofwork like that to get to level ground. From then on we could start with our regular renewal of our curriculum documents. Dr.Gasper explained that the curriculum will not be published in hardcopy for two reasons: it is a living document and can beaccessed using WIKI posted on our website. The Board members should have received an email invitation through theirAnsonia.org email address with a login and password. By keeping curriculum online we can make small enhancements orimprovements and simply send out an email to the staff saying the online curriculum has been updated. The WIKI alsoincludes the ability to discuss. Right next to each document online is an assessment board and we already have had someteachers using it.Dr. Gasper said we are scheduling a Curriculum Subcommittee meeting for September 27 th at which time he would like tohave the subcommittee review and recommend to the full Board the curriculum. He added that if it is okay with thesubcommittee he would like to not provide hardcopies to them unless requested. There would be about 1,000 pages.Everything is online for the Board’s perusal. Ms. DiGiorgi asked how will you show us the changes, since we don’t havelaptops? Dr. Gasper said there will be a projector at the meeting.B. Special Education Director’s ReportATTACHMENT #2DISCUSSION: Ms. Gabrielson, special education director, explained her report to the Board. She said since the Boardpackets were sent to the Board she has updated her report twice for preschool referrals and start dates, and asked the Boardnot to discard the original sent with their packet. She will be updating this specific report throughout the course of the year sothey have an ongoing record of the number of preschool referrals that they are receiving, by month. A third classroom willneed to be opened. We are currently providing classroom-based services to 27 preschoolers with disabilities within the tworeadiness classrooms. Because of the way the Readiness Grant is written she is unable to put more than 27 students betweenthose two classrooms. Ms. Gabrielson said she is projecting to run out of spaces in October. She is expecting two students inNovember. Mr. Boath asked if these two students would be placed outside the district. Ms. Gabrielson said if she does nothave room she will have to outplace these students. She explained that in her report the tuition cost for out-of-districtplacements for preschoolers does not include transportation or related services. Ms. Gabrielson said it is not just the need fora third preschool classroom: it is important that we are cognizant of the overwhelming need for long-term as the studentsprogress to the next levels. We are notified of students from Birth-3, three times a year. Our time crunch for this is not just for aclassroom by October/November. Supplies for the third classroom will be funded by the IDEA ARRA funds that have been setaside for equipment. That grant is due to close out the end of October and all funds have to be encumbered by September 30 thor we will have to return them to the federal government. Money is set aside for everything but the staff. Ms. Gabrielson saidshe is looking to house this classroom at Prendergast School with six to eight children in the a.m. and six to eight children inthe p.m. It will be a self-contained classroom. She would initiate having one certified teacher, based on the numbers today.Non-certified staff would be needed once the classroom has three to four students. Ms. Gabrielson said the numbers she hastoday she did not have a year ago when the budget was planned for this school year. Mr. Boath said it sounds like Ms.Gabrielson has from the grant funds, the necessary funds to get the classroom up and running but without having staff. Whatdoes that do to the program? Right now we don’t have any money in our budget to make this happen, staff wise. Goingforward we have been flat funded for the last several budgets, and we are anticipating a loss for next year. Mr. Boath said heknows there is a need that we have to fill and this is extremely volatile from month to month. Ms. DiGiorgi asked, then wheredo we get the money from? Out-placing is three times the cost. We have to find the money somewhere. We don’t have achoice. Mr. Nimons said what Mr. Boath may be asking for is that the Board would like to have some numbers regarding inand out-placing students. He suggested working with Mr. Gaskins, business manager, on this for the Board prior to the nextmeeting. Mr. Nimons said he would also like to have a forecast on these students. Mr. Boath said it sounds like we are goingto have to go back to BOAT for funding. Mr. Boath said that the Board is looking for prospective. Ms. Gabrielson said this isnot specific to Ansonia; it is statewide. Mr. Pitney asked if there is enough time. Ms. Gabrielson said she can haveencumbrances ready to go prior to the end of September. Mr. Boath said we will schedule a special meeting on September27 th , after the Curriculum Subcommittee. Ms. Gabrielson said she is having surgery on September 23 rd but will be available viaphone for September 27 th .