April 25, 2024 at 7:00 PM - Bethel Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

• Bethel High School Navy JROTC has been selected as a Navy Distinguished Unit with Academic Honors for the 21st consecutive year.
• Bethel High School Navy JROTC has also been selected as the NJROTC Most Outstanding Unit for the Northeast Region and is being considered for Most Outstanding in the Nation among 29 other units representing their respective regions.
• US News and World Report released their 2024 Best High Schools in the State of Connecticut.   While we have been proud over the last several years to be in the top 50, this year we are particularly proud to be moved up to number 33, a significant increase in ratings.  This exceeded many of our more affluent local districts.  

Rationale: 

• Special Project AV- "What I Love About Bethel Public Schools Promo (3/15/24 Note: CABE sent plaque for presentation by Supt. or BOE Chair)

Rationale: 

• Letter to new BOE member Anthony Cassio, regarding his appointment to the Board of Education from Daniel E. Carter, First Selectman.
• Construction Audit Commencing - Please see the attached letters from the Department of Administrative Services regarding the initiation of the audit of the Johnson and Rockwell Schools.  As consistent with the State statute, DAS holds back 11% of the reimbursement grant until the audit is completed.   We will be meeting internally on Tuesday, April 23rd with the Town Comptroller to discuss who will be the liaison with DAS.  

Rationale:  (Please note:  The Board welcomes Public Participation and asks that speakers please limit their comments to 2 minutes.  Speakers may offer objective comments of school operations and programs that concern them.  The Board will not permit any expression of personal complaints or defamatory comments about Board of Education personnel and students, nor against any person connected with the Bethel Public School System.)

Rationale:  2024 BPS Awards Celebration:  May 23, 2024, 4 PM - 6 PM, at the Amber Room.  RSVP by May 10th.  See the attached flyer for details and the RSVP link.

Excess Cost:  Senate Bill 5 is still in play at the state legislature.   This would provide for no cap on Excess Cost.   It is extremely important that every board member contacts our delegation in support of the Bill.  If we do not get relief from this, we will likely need to start the school year on a spending freeze.  

Board of Selectman Approval:  As you are aware, the BOS cut some of the items out of our 460 with the promise to let us proceed from another funding source.  At their last meeting they approved for us to: (1) Update our controls software; (2) replace carpet at Berry School and (3) repair or replace our dumpster enclosures.  They approved all work using town ARP funds.   The only caveat was that they wanted to get a second quote for the dumpster enclosures.  This does not go to the BOF because it is grant funds.  

3-8 NWEA Results:  We saw significant improvements in mathematics, both in the number of students reaching proficiency and those who met their goals.  In reading, we did not see an implementation dip and improved in some grades, both year-to-year and cohort data.   We also saw a number of students meet their growth goals, unlike we have ever seen previously.  Rockwell  & Berry will take the assessment at the beginning of May. We will also be starting our state testing at the beginning of May (SBAC and NGSS) in grades 3-8 and 11 (NGSS).  We will review the data linked below at our meeting.  

District Overview 

Reading Spring to Spring Overview

Reading Spring to Spring Cohort Data Overview

Reading Growth Target Data 

District Overview

Math Spring to Spring Overview

Math Spring to Spring Cohort Data Overview

Math Growth Target Data 

School Day SAT Results - College Board:  The College Board Released a summary of our School Day results.   This is not the official SDE release, as there may be some minor adjustments.   This link will provide you with a year-to-year comparison.   Please note, when looking at this data it is very difficult to compare, as they are different groups of students.   Rather, we look at it for curricular trends.  Our data is significantly above the state average, which went down significantly in mathematics.  Nonetheless, we are pleased with the growth in literacy increasing year over year and mathematics.  
 

Repaving of Walkway/Cross Country Trail:   The town did take care of repaving the walkway or cross country trail between the middle and high school (picture below), which was fabulous.

Strategic Planning:  The Strategic Planning Committee met last Monday to develop a process, to be implemented next year, to revise both the strategic plan and our Visions for a Graduate or Global Competencies.   As part of the preparation for the work, we asked the committee to read the following resources:  

• Generative AI and the Future of the American Work Force
• P21 Framework for Early Learning 
• The Top Five Skills you will Need for the Future of Work
• Handout:  AI and the Future of Teaching and Learning
• World Economic Forum:  The Future of Jobs ONLY though page 49
• Skills Every Child Will Need to Succeed in 21st century | Dr. Laura A. Jana | TEDxChandigarh

This was the agenda for the meeting. 
 
SBHC Grant:  As you are aware, we have a partnership to provide School-Based Based Health Centers (SBHC) in all of our 5 schools.   Currently, we have mental health services only.   There was a grant released yesterday which allows for expansion of the program to include primary care services.  Like the mental health services, if a student is enrolled, the parent can request support for primary health including physicals (including sports), vaccinations, sick visits, etc.   They work in cooperation with the child's pediatrician.  If the grant covers the transition of the spaces (need exam room and bathroom), it might be worth pursuing.  I think it might help with our chronic absenteeism.   Like the mental health services, the only thing we would provide would be space.  There is a great description of the program on their website. I would also encourage you to watch this video.  

BMS Tile Repair:  The town is making repairs to the classrooms that have had tiles missing.   They are working on it this week.  

Speed Bumps: The Town also installed two speed bumps in the junior parking lot.  

Grants :  As many of you might know from the Town meeting, we had a discussion regarding what goes into the Per Pupil Expenditure.   It includes our operating budget, in kind service from the town (maintenance, pension contributions, utilities, SRO's, etc.) and all grants received by the district.   On our Financial Dashboard there is a section which outlines the grants we receive.   Below are documents with descriptions and budgets on what we spend the grants on.   Please note, all ARP and ESSER grants are over this year.  They will not continue.  The first document has most of the current information.  
Grants & Revenue
ESSER II
 ARP ESSER
IDEA ARP ESSER

 

Rationale:  Monthly Data  -  We include in the BOE agenda the monthly data as requested by the BOE.  

Rationale:  Key Points of the Briefing: 

• We are bringing forward a new PreCalculus textbook: Demana Precalculus: Graphical, Numerical, Algebraic, AP edition, 11th edition, 2024

• Selection committee piloted and chose the book and also sought student voice in the selection process

• Well written, worked out examples

• Aligned with our current curriculum

• MyMathLab provides online access to the book along with videos, additional instructional tools, extra practice, and customizable homework

• AP edition accepted by College Board and UCONN

 

• Cost- $27,641.06 (including shipping)

• 60 textbooks (2 classroom sets) with MyMathLab access

• 4 Teachers’ Editions

• 90 MyMathLab licenses

• This would be purchased out of our current budget

 

Rationale: 

Key Points of the Briefing: 

• We are bringing forward the Algebra II curriculum for approval.

  • Algebra II continues on from the work of Algebra I where students move from linear functions to quadratics and other more challenging functions.  Students complete seven units including: Sequences & Functions, Introduction to Quadratics, Quadratic Equations, Polynomials & Rational Functions, Complex Numbers & Rational Exponents, Exponential Equations & Functions, Transformations of Functions

  • Students will use problems-solving and critical-thinking skills.

  • Illustrative Mathematics is the core instructional resource we use.

Rationale:  Summary of the Briefing:
We are bringing forward the Environmental Science Curriculum. 
This course addresses the global ecosystem and the ways local, federal, and international policies regulate how human beings use natural resources on Earth. This class emphasizes environmental issues and some of the potential ways to address them. Multimedia resources, fieldwork, laboratories, and case studies will be used to investigate environmental issues.

We are bringing forward the Forensics Curriculum.
This elective course is designed for students with an interest in the field of forensics.  Students taking the course should have a strong understanding of biological concepts (e.g., the structure of DNA).  Forensic scientists are responsible for analyzing evidence collected at crime scenes by legal officials.  Students will process and analyze evidence using techniques grounded in biology, chemistry, and physics.  The course will include famous crimes throughout history, how science has been used to solve these crimes, and ethical and legal issues involved within the discipline.  

We are bringing forward the Physical Science Curriculum.
This course is designed to be an alternative to the traditional high school chemistry course.  Students taking the course will be asked to use the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices to learn about the Scientific Method, Atomic Structure, Chemical Reactions, Carbon Chemistry, Heat and Energy, and Earth Systems. 


 

Rationale:  We are bringing forward a new AP Environmental Science textbook.
Environmental Science for the AP Course 4e by Friedland and Relyea

• AP Environmental Science (APES) students are currently using a textbook that was purchased at a time when the APES curriculum was substantially different from the current curriculum. 
• In 2019 the APES underwent extensive changes to both the topics covered and the end of year AP exam. 

Pre- 2019 Current 


 

• The new proposed textbook aligns 100% with the AP Environmental Science Course and Exam Description (CED).  There is no extra information. There is no missing information.   
• The textbook asks students to engage in the The AP Environmental Science framework practices which include: Concept Explanation, Visual Representations, Text Analysis, Data Analysis, Mathematical Routines, and Environmental Solutions. 
• A full complement of teacher focused resources are provided. 
• The book offers an array of additional benefits:
  • The book contains Unit-Opening Case Studies designed to spark discussion.
  • The book emphasizes the interconnectedness of topics across the various units.  
  • The book provides numerous opportunities for both unit level and cumulative practice for the AP exam. 

Textbook Cost 


 

Rationale:  Mr. Turek, BHS Science Teacher, will give a brief update on the Korean Collaborative Program.

Rationale: 

State statute allows a Board of Education to formally set graduation at its first meeting in April.  The Administration is recommending Monday, June 10, 2024, as the Graduation Date on Ralph DeSantis Field at 6 PM. 

Tuesday, June 11, 2024 is the rain date.

The last day for students will be Tuesday, June 11, 2024 (half-day).

The Board will be asked to vote to approve the graduation date.