Aliyya Swaby Photo
Assistant Principal Jenny Clarino with Principal Brown-Clayton.
Students are “on task,” not wandering the halls. Hundreds of parents attend school-sponsored events. But academically rigorous work “was not consistently observed.”
A state audit from a Jan. 8 site visit drew those conclusions about Lincoln-Bassett School — the most recent member of the state Commissioner’s Network, a group of underperforming schools that sign up for a state-funded “turnaround.”
Lincoln-Bassett, a pre-k‑6 school in Newhallville, has improved its culture and provided a more welcoming environment for students, teachers and parents, but still needs to work on increasing academic rigor and “student-centered” learning, according to the newly released report.
“The most rewarding thing about this audit is that it didn’t tell us anything we didn’t know,” said Principal Janet Brown-Clayton, who was hired this academic year to helm the turnaround. “The first year, we’re focusing on culture climate and curriculum. The next year, we’re focusing on rigor, differentiation and professional development. We’re focusing on giving our teachers what they need.”
The previous January’s audit rated the school “below standard” or “developing” in 23 different sub-indicators under four categories: school talent, academics, culture/climate and operations. Click here to read that report.
This January, most of the school’s ratings — 14 of 23 — were a 3 or “proficient,” just a step away from the highest rating of 4 or “exemplary.” Last year, the school received no “proficient” or “exemplary” ratings. Eight of 23 sub-indicators were rated “developing,” including three that had improved from “below standard” in 2014. Compared to last year, the school has improved in 18 of 23 individual sub-indicators.
Click here to read a draft of this year’s report.
Superintendent Garth Harries said he is proud of Lincoln-Bassett’s “strong progress” as recognized in the audit.
“There’s a lot more work to do. It’s pretty common in turnaround situations to really focus on the climate” at the beginning of the process, he said. “The school leadership and parents and teachers are clear that that’s the place for continued growth.”
Aliyya Swaby
Ratings start at 1=below standard, 2=developing, 3=proficient, 4=exemplary.
After last January’s negative state audit results, Lincoln-Bassett became the third local school to agree to a state-sponsored “turnaround,” using state money and support for a thorough internal makeover. Prior to the current academic year, Brown-Clayton reconstituted the staff by replacing 20 out of 27 teachers — one of several tools at her disposal in the turnaround process to change the way Lincoln-Bassett is run.
The second part of the turnaround offers Lincoln-Bassett students optional, free before and after-school programs, expanding a potential school day by four hours total. Camp Antrum Community Program runs the morning program and the Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology (ConnCAT) and Boys and Girls Club run two different after-school programs, separated by grade. About 270 students attend all three programs, Brown-Clayton told the Independent this week.
This year’s audit praised the “extended day programs” for “incorporating academic supports and enrichment opportunities,” while noting that the programs “are not yet impacting academics to the fullest extent possible.” Students receive “inconsistent” homework support, the report said. Participants of a focus group suggested that teachers and program leaders communicate more effectively to align “program activities with classroom learning objectives.”
Last year, state auditors expressed concern that school administrators were not hiring and retaining the “highest-quality and most capable educators needed.” The state recommended that the school work harder to attract those candidates, in part by offering teachers incentive pay to work in low-performing schools.
About 75 percent of teachers this year are new, one factor in building the school’s culture, Brown-Clayton said. “It always helps to begin from a level playing field,.” The report stated that “students reported that in contrast to last year, this year they are learning more and enjoying school. Students conveyed their teachers care about their academic performance.” And teachers have successfully adopted systems to track students’ progress in reading and math.
Jordi Gasso Photo
Students painted murals to brighten the school’s relaunch this acadmic year.
Teachers are also doing well at managing their classrooms, using the school’s new “SOAR” system of rewards and consequences, according to the audit. The school has decreased its number of school suspensions to 27 this year, with no expulsions. Last year, the school reported 74 total incidents that resulted in either suspensions or expulsions.
But only 25 percent of observed classrooms showed “tasks requiring higher-order thinking,” according to the report. Students were not observed engaging in “academic discourse” and teachers reported limited paraprofessional support in grades 3 through 6.
Newer teachers have to get more comfortable in the classroom, which will help them “develop practices that will lead to greater rigor” academically, Brown-Clayton said. Lincoln-Bassett administrators established a “voluntary professional learning community” to support teachers’ professional development. “We saw where we needed to bump up the level of instruction,” she said.
The school’s culture reflects a “climate of trust and a climate of family,” in which staff feel comfortable making suggestions for individual and collective growth, she said.
Lincoln-Bassett received only one “below standard” rating, in student attendance, which Brown-Clayton attributes in part to the spate of snow storms and general bad weather since December. Last year’s attendance rating was higher — at “developing.” The first half of this school year’s attendance rate was 90 percent and chronic absenteeism rate was 41 percent. Last year’s attendance rate was 91 percent with 32 percent chronic absenteeism, according to the report.
Parent engagement is a large part of increasing attendance, Brown-Clayton said. More than 300 parents attended the school’s December 2014 engagement event, up from 10 in June 2014. “The parents who are engaged are not the parents whose kids are not coming to school,” she said. The school tracks attendance daily.
The state audit left the school with various specific recommendations for improvement and basic timelines for achieving them. Most immediately, by this spring, school officials are expected to address student attendance, by creating “clear protocols for when students miss school and/or approach chronic absentee status” and assigning chronically absent students to adult mentors.
Brown-Clayton said she plans to “continue the quest for parental engagement” by continuing the monthly family events. She plans to throw a “celebration” of the school’s growth in May, where she will show parents a PowerPoint presentation contrasting the academic growth of students who are at school and those who do not consistently attend. She will repeat the presentation for kindergarten registration, since kindergarteners make up a large part of students with poor attendance, she said: “It’s a gradual release for parents as well.”
The next parent engagement event is March 19, barring inclement weather.
So proud of my colleagues--but someone needs to look up the definition of the word "rigor"--it has no place in the education of our children--lets choose another word instead--ok?