September 13, 2005 at 7:00 PM - 9-13-05 Regular Board Meeting

Rationale:  The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.

Rationale:  Chair Boske explained the rules of Public Session.

Rationale:  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY REVISE THE AUTHORIZED SIGNATORIES OF THE ED-099 AGREEMENT FOR CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS · The retirement of Carol Parmelee-Blancato, Superintendent of Schools, and Richard A. Cormier, Associate Superintendent for Administration, has necessitated changing the authorized signatories of the ED-099 Agreement for Child Nutrition Programs. · The Superintendent of Schools is authorized to sign, and in the absence of the Superintendent, a second signatory is required. Superintendent of Schools, Michael J. Frechette, Ph.D. and Gail S. Pillarella, Manager of Financial Operations, will have the authority to sign claims for reimbursement. This agenda item requests Board approval for the revision of authorized signatories of the ED-099 Agreement for Child Nutrition Programs.

Rationale:  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS FOR 2005-06 The Connecticut State Department of Education requires school districts to submit a Consolidated Application for 2005-06 Federal grants. The Consolidated Application reflects the federal and state performance goals for students articulated in the No Child Left Behind education act, to include: Goal 1: By 2013-14, all students will reach high standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading and mathematics; Goal 2: All limited English proficient students will become proficient in English and reach high academic standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading/language arts and mathematics; Goal 3: By 2005-06, all students will be taught by highly qualified teachers; Goal 4: All students will be educated in learning environments that are safe, drug free, and conducive to learning; and Goal 5: All students will graduate from high school. The funding levels indicated reflect the public school allocation only. 1) Title I, Part A - Improving Basic Programs $1,288,857 2) Title II, Part A – Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting $189,016 3) Title II, Part D – Enhancing Education Through Technology $16,414 4) Title III – English Language Acquisition and Language Enhancement $14,938 5) Title IV, Part A - Safe and Drug-Free Schools $27,908 6) Title V, Innovative Programs $15,924 Total Public Funding for the 2005-06 Consolidated Grant: $1,553,057 Total Public Funding for the 2004-05 Consolidated Grant: $1,584,277 Total Public Funding for the 2003-04 Consolidated Grant: $1,601,190

Rationale:  The Budget Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 7, 2005 was postponed to Monday, September 12, 2005 (after Board packet distribution). This item will be discussed at the September 13, 2005 Board meeting.

Rationale:  The 76th National FFA Convention will be held in Louisville, Kentucky this October 25th to the 29th. This is the nation's largest annual student meeting and a life-changing event for those students lucky enough to represent their state in national competition. This year two teachers (Andrew O'Brien & Matt Gualtieri), two parents (Mr. and Mrs. Van der Grinten), and thirteen students will be attending the five-day convention. Our students have earned the right to represent the state of Connecticut as a result of their hard work, and successful competition at the state level. American Degree (The highest degree attainable): Rebecca Baker Ag. Marketing Team: Katie Day, Morgan McGrath, Alexander Tremblay, Nicole Van der Grinten and Wayne Vetre State Quiz Bowl Champions: Olivia Zukas, Alison Zukas, Leaya George, Chelsea Walsh, Stephanie Spignesi and Kristina Simmons Melzmuff/Varrato Memorial Scholarship Winner: David Dummond Katie Day and Nicole Van der Grinten have also been named National Proficiency Award Finalists for their excellent supervised agricultural experience programs in the areas of agriculture business and specialty animal production. The students will have to pay approximately $260.00 for their hotel and airfare, and will be responsible for their meals and incidentals (the remainder of the expenses will be covered by the chapter Activity Fund.) This is truly a life-changing event for our students and we are proud to have such an impressive group of students representing us.

Rationale:  Middletown High Marching Blue Dragons Florida 2006 The purpose of auditioning and performing at Walt Disney World is to raise the level of performance of every student in the band. Students will examine the skills, attributes, and attitudes performers must exhibit in a professional atmosphere, while focusing on the importance of self-discipline and setting priorities. Other objectives/goals that tie into our curriculum are: - Incorporate intensity and focus into student’s performances - Looking for potential mistakes before they happen to increase productivity - Understand the proper balance in performance - Working towards musical and technical accuracy - Excepting personal responsibility for your performance - Playing to the best of your ability at all times - Interacting with, and showing respect for, other performers - Identify superior tone quality

Rationale:  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OPENING OF SCHOOL · Opening Day at Middletown High School · Professional Development Workshops · Visits to: - Elementary Schools - Keigwin - Woodrow Wilson Middle - Middletown High School · Overall very positive, upbeat, and enthusiastic environment in the schools · All buildings in terrific condition

Rationale:  Although it is too early in the fiscal year to provide you with any meaningful expenditure projections regarding the utility budget lines I believe it is safe to assume that we will run into deficit in the fuel oil, gas and electricity accounts based on the current extraordinary cost escalation in the utility markets. Also impacted to a lesser degree will be the Maintenance Program Supply account as all gasoline used by the Facilities Department is charged against this account. In an effort to lessen the deficit impact I propose to you the following energy reduction efforts: Modify EMS Building Schedules: Currently we have Energy Management Systems in all schools that allow us to put the buildings into a night-set back mode (lower heating temperatures and higher cooling temperatures at a pre-set start and end time). I recommend setting forward the start times and setting back the end times. The down side is that the schools will not be as warm at the start of school as normally experienced and will be cooler earlier (opposite results for the cooling season). Shed Lighting Loads: Wherever possible I recommend disconnecting banks of lighting. Hallways and common areas are the most suitable for this measure, but other areas will be looked at. Survey the district’s exterior lighting on and off times and adjust for minimum operating times. Lower Heating Set Points and Raise Cooling Set Points: The EMSs in the schools are not set up to lower heating set points and raise cooling set points at most locations as the localized temperature control is controlled via individual and zone thermostats and/or sensors. To manually reset all thermostats and sensors would be too labor intensive and cost prohibitive. I do, however, recommend lowering the heating set points in air handling systems by ± 2° F and raising the cooling set points by ± 2° F. The downside of this is that there will be more noticeable temperature variations throughout the schools. District wide target set points are currently 70° F (± 2° F) for heat and 74° F (± 2° F) for cooling. Disconnect Mark Timers for Heat and Air Conditioning System Overrides: Several common areas in the schools have been provided with mark timers that allow the school’s building superintendents and principals to override the heating and cooling systems either school-wide or in common areas depending on the building’s mechanical configuration. This measure will prevent unauthorized overrides. Technology: Coordinate with the Technology Department to program in “sleep mode” functions district wide to computers and ancillary technology equipment as applicable. Staff and Student Participation: Have all school Principals aggressively promote the school staff’s and student involvement and cooperation in energy conservation measures (turning lights and all electronic equipment off whenever possible, shutting down photocopies every night, keeping doors and windows closed as much as possible during the heating and cooling seasons, etc.). Savings Projections: We do not have the technological sophistication in the current EMSs to track utility consumption. Logic dictates that the above measures will reduce energy consumption but I do not have the ability to provide actual projections. Staff and Student Impact: Although the measures above will not have a dramatic impact on the quality of life for the staff and students while they are in our schools, there will be those that take exception to their comfort level be impacted at all. The Facilities Department in general, and the district’s HVAC Technician in particular, will be faced with increased calls and emails regarding the conservation measures. We will deal professionally with all issues as they arise, however, I do recommend that if the above recommendations are approved that I send out a district-wide email put staff on notice regarding the changes.

Rationale:  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TRANSPORTATION REPORT - 2005-2006 SCHOOL OPENING · In the busing world of Middletown school openings, our 2005-2006 school year opened with much success. As normal there has been and will be bus delays and bus stop problems during the first month of school. We continue to meet daily and continue to fine tune routes, bus stops, special needs, and pre-k runs to improve arrival/departure times. Our bus contractor has responded adequately to our concerns. · All buses are due for re-inspection by the Connecticut Motor Vehicles Department and records of inspections are available at Dattco Inc. 131 Tuttle Road, Middletown. The Dattco Safety Department will be visiting all schools to present the safety awareness program and will be practicing school bus evacuation drills. To date, we have instituted busing for after-school late programs, as well as inter-school programs such as ESL, Probe, Special Needs, Oddfellows, The Green Street Art Center, and The Greater Hartford Academy. Transportation needs for the athletic programs have also begun. The Transportation office has handled waves of calls from concerned parents ranging from bus stop locations, pick-up times, safety issues, walking distances, and riding times.

Rationale:  Prior to June, Middletown educators proposed 24 summer curriculum projects. These were reviewed and submitted by supervisors, elementary principals, and coordinators. Upon further reviewing the proposals, adjusting hours, and clarifying objectives, the assistant superintendent approved and posted all 24. In turn, educators applied to complete these projects. All projects were completed, all but two involving at least two teachers/curriculum specialists.

Rationale:  Executive Summary 2005 Middletown Cooperative Summer School Director Anthony Menard’s attached report provides a comprehensive overview of this past summer’s program. By way of background, it may be helpful to Board members to know the following: - Middletown students who chose to participate needed to have earned grades between 50 and 59 for any course in which they planned to earn credit. This appears to have limited the number of Middletown students who generally enroll in the summer program. - Since relatively few Middletown teachers participate in the program, the assistant superintendent asked supervisors to develop course descriptions for all of the summer courses in the hope and belief that these would prove helpful to both instructors ands students. Response from instructors was favorable; improved student performance – especially in math – can be traced to there being clearer objectives and expectations. - Students were surveyed for the first time. There responses will be helpful to Mr. Menard and his staff in assessing the degree to which new initiatives were initiated, student satisfaction with the program, and the establishment of baseline data. - All students were asked to maintain and submit portfolios of their work. Middletown students portfolios were in turn shared with their Middletown teachers to 1) provide those teachers with a sense of what students had accomplished, 2) to gather work that might be adjudicated for the portfolio graduation option, and 3) to encourage students to become more reflective and self-directed in their academic studies. - The portfolio preparation class approved by the Board drew too few students to be offered. - The assistant superintendent met with Mr. Menard and his staff twice, initially to outline expectations and subsequently to gather information and follow-up to proposals. - As noted in the report, the assistant superintendent recommended that administrative costs to the program be included in its budget, providing a clearer and more accurate picture of program costs. Given the resulting deficit – the smallest ever had administrative costs been previously reported – the Board may wish to consider increasing tuition.

Rationale:  Executive Summary 2005 Adequate Yearly Progress Attempting to report on Middletown Public Schools efforts relative to No Child Left Behind and Adequate Yearly Progress is analogous to shooting gophers from a galloping horse. That challenge notwithstanding, here is a brief update on our recent performance and plans: - All of Middletown’s elementary schools have resumed making adequate yearly progress. None is presently on the list of “not achieved” or needs improvement. In the previous AYP report, three of Middletown’s elementary schools – Bielefield, Macdonough, and Wesley – had been cited for not achieving AYP. Their progress is attributable to two factors: 1) chiefly, the increased attention to reading and math remediation and support, and 2) having fewer than the minimum 40-member subgroup population for sub-groups. - Wilson Middle School was again identified as a school “in need of improvement” for its students with disabilities subgroup’s failure to make adequate yearly progress. Bear in mind that Wilson successfully met AYP requirements in three of the four areas it had previously been cited for: sub-group participation and performance by African-American students. With continued intervention, remedial support, and implementation of the Blue Ribbon diagnostic software, greater numbers of students are meeting and exceeding proficiency expectations. - Middletown High School was identified for the first time for its economically disadvantaged sub-group’s failure to make AYP in math. The criterion was raised from the 59% requirement of the last three years to 69%. Middletown High’s economically disadvantaged students achieved a 68% proficiency rating. It should be further noted that MHS has made progress in both participation and performance by the whole school and sub-groups. Immediate plans: Teachers and administrators are implementing those procedures outlined in the “NCLB Improvement Plan” shared with the Board this past spring (6/13/05), including much expanded use of the Blue Ribbon diagnostic software, portfolio reviews and grade level discussion of student work, high school learning teams, parent involvement, and intensive emphasis on reading across disciplines at all levels. As we look at longer-range plans and initiatives, we may, as have other Connecticut districts, want to 1) carefully assess the impact of skill leveling secondary students (since regular [low]level classes have much high numbers of economically disadvantaged, African-American, and Hispanic students than do college prep and advanced classes), 2) give even more attention to coordinating reading and writing expectations, and 3) find ways to engage greater numbers of students in assessing and directing more of their own learning. Three state department documents (8/5, 8/9, and 9/6/05) – available in hard copy only – are included in the Board’s packet.

Rationale:  Executive Summary August 29-30, 2005 Professional Development Activities On August 29, 2005, Middletown educators participated in their first of three days of professional development. In all, 25 PD activities/sessions were planned and conducted, several mirroring activities at other sites, the intent being to keep as many programs small and interactive. On August 30, the High School conducted another workshop on “current youth trends” for all high school staff. Faculty and grade level meetings were held at other schools to outline plans, initiatives, and expectations for the coming year. The attached report (“Professional Development: 2005-06”) details the various workshops, identifying topics, presenters, groups of participants, and participants’ ratings of the workshops. These workshops reflect a range of topics and initiatives, including several related to student behavior and working with at-risk students. Ratings were favorable across the board. Total costs for the opening day PD activities have yet to be tallied; however, since most workshops were prepared and offered by Middletown educators and since no outside keynote speaker was hired, costs will be considerably less than those of past years. Subsequent PD days are scheduled for November and March of this year.

Rationale:  Appointments: - Angela DiSisto, is nominated as a Special Education Teacher (Keigwin School). Her position on the salary scale is Step 1 of the Master’s Salary Scale, salary $44,480.00. Ms. DiSisto earned her Baccalaureate at the University at Albany (SUNY) and her Master’s at Mercy College. - Gail Gallo, is nominated as a Social Studies Teacher (Woodrow Wilson Middle School). Her position on the salary scale is Step 1 of the Bachelor’s Salary Scale, salary $39,797.00. Ms. Gallo earned her Baccalaureate at Central Connecticut State University. - Joanne Jukins, is nominated as an Elementary Teacher (Macdonough School). Her position on the salary scale is Step 7 of the Bachelor’s Salary Scale, salary $50,262.00. Ms. Jukins earned her Baccalaureate at the University of Connecticut. - Lynda Murdy, is nominated as an Elementary Teacher (Macdonough School). Her position on the salary scale is Step 1 of the Bachelor’s Salary Scale, salary $39,797.00. Ms. Murdy earned her Baccalaureate at Southern Connecticut State University. - Shalan Paul, is nominated as an Elementary Teacher (Macdonough School). Her position on the salary scale is Step 1 of the Bachelor’s Salary Scale, salary $39,797.00. Ms. Paul earned her Baccalaureate at Southern Connecticut State University. - Karen Wesoloski, is nominated as an Elementary Teacher (Moody School). Her position on the salary scale is Step 1 of the Bachelor’s Salary Scale, salary $39,797.00. Ms. Wesoloski earned her Baccalaureate at Saint Joseph College. - Shelly Jones, is nominated as 6-12 Mathematics Supervisor. Her position on the salary scale is Step 2, Category VI, salary $83,262.00. Ms. Jones earned her Baccalaureate at Spellman College, her Master’s at the University of Bridgeport and her Doctorate at Illinois State University.