Hernandez Says School Testing Going Well

Branford students are taking the new state-mandated tests this week, but unlike in some school districts, the Branford superintendent says the tests are ​“going smoothly.”

Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez reported on the tests at Wednesday’s meeting of the Board of Education (BOE). ​“We were very prepared,” Hernandez said. The reason for that, he said, is that Branford participated in the pilot test program two years ago and in the field test last year.

In other business, the BOE unanimously approved a new contract for school nurses; and voted to return jurisdiction of the former Branford Hills School to the town.

Smarter Tests?

The Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) tests, which are linked to the new Common Core State Standards, are being administered in grades 3 and 4 in the elementary schools, and in grades 5 through 8 at Walsh Intermediate School. The tests, which are computerized, are given in English/Literacy and Math. 

Hernandez said the SBA tests for 11th graders will be administered in May, because of the volume of college testing that is going on now.

Click here to read a story about last year’s field tests and the Common Core Standards. 

Hernandez said the elementary students are typically spending about 45 minutes a day on testing and should complete the tests by next week. He said it may take longer at the intermediate school because there are not enough computers for all students to take the tests simultaneously. He said the testing is proceeding with ​“minimal disruptions” to the school day.

This is the first year that test scores will be reported. The pilot tests and the field tests were used to help test-makers fine-tune the assessment process. In addition to assessing students’ progress, the SBA tests will eventually be used as part of teachers’ performance ratings.

Hernandez told the board that the tests are not without controversy statewide. ​“The pros and cons of the test are being discussed and the kinks are being worked out,” he said.

Too Much Testing for Juniors?

The SBA tests replace the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) in grades 3 — 8; and the Connecticut Academic Performance Tests (CAPT) tests in 10th grade. 

One of the controversies surrounding the SBA tests is that 11th graders are required to take tests — instead of 10th graders. Parents have protested this change, claiming that 11th graders are already inundated with achievement tests for admission to colleges.
This has led to the question of students being able to ​“opt out” of SBA testing.

Following the meeting, the Eagle asked Hernandez if opting out is permissible.

“There is no opt-out,” Hernandez said, adding that the State Board of Education said it is not permitted. However, he said that is one of the issues statewide.

Some states have already begun using another standardized test. According to the CT Mirror, the Connecticut legislature’s Education Committee will hear testimony on a proposed bill that would require the state to study the effectiveness of the SBA test. 

Click here to read a story about SBA testing this week by the Connecticut Mirror.

Nurses Contract

The BOE unanimously approved a three-year contract for the school nurses. The pact includes a 2 percent raise in the first year; 2.3 percent in the second year; and 2.5 in the third year. The contract is retroactive to July 1, 2014, and extends through June 30, 2017. There are seven full-time nurses in the Branford Public Schools. The starting salary for a school nurse with no experience is $44,868.

School Returns to Town

The board voted unanimously to return the former Branford Hills School to the town — a term which they referred to as ​“rededication.” The town owns all school buildings, but the school district has jurisdiction over them.

As the Eagle reported earlier this week, First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove said a recent report by a consultant shows the building is damaged beyond repair. The school district repeatedly asked for a new roof to replace the one that has been leaking, but the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) refused to fund the project or any other major repairs.

Click here to read our previous story about demolition plans for the school.

Board member Kate Marsland asked how this will affect the BOE’s recommendation in 2013 to renovate and expand the building to serve as a new school for the Sliney Elementary students.

Hernandez said the property could still be available for new construction, if that was ever proposed.

At the Board of Finance (BOF) budget meeting Thursday night, Cosgrove asked for $560,000 to demolish the building. That funding is part of a bond issue that will be discussed by the BOF and the RTM next week. No vote has actually been taken on whether or not to demolish the building.

Cosgrove told the BOF that any future uses of the property have not been determined. ​“In the short term, that area is unserved by a park and there is a need for practice fields for lacrosse and soccer,” he said.

Republican RTM member Frank Twohill, Jr., chair of the RTM education committee, told the BOF he has been concerned about this school for the last twenty years. He said there was ​“no real plan to do anything” about the building. He noted there was good open space at the school and demolishing it ​“is a good economic move for the town.”

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