The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that states develop and submit a consolidated state plan to the U.S. Department of Education. In its commitment to obtaining input from a diverse group of constituents and ensuring that Connecticut’s plan reflects the needs of all educators, students and community members, the CSDE has developed a stakeholder survey. The feedback gathered from the survey will help the CSDE develop priorities as it drafts its implementation plan. Please share your thoughts and ideas and help shape Connecticut’s transition to the new federal law.

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The CSDE and CAS have developed a coaching model that will support newly appointed special education administrators. Coaches with special education expertise will work with administrators and the district. Projected benefits include increased ability to manage special education requirements and improved staff satisfaction and family communication. Districts are invited to apply for a grant that will provide them with a coach at no cost for the services provided. The deadline for submission of applications is December 15, 2016.

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Want to make a difference in teaching and learning? Come to one of two upcoming workshops and learn in real time how to use the block interim assessments to evaluate students' skills, make changes to instruction and provide whole class discussion of the assessments. These no-cost workshops are short in duration but long in impact! Please make time to join your colleagues at CAS.

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On November 19th, as part of the annual CABE-CAPSS convention, Nadia Lopez, author of The Bridge to Brilliance, will host a special session just for principals. Nadia, founder of Mott Hall Bridges Academy in Brownsville, Brooklyn, successfully opened pathways to excellence in one of the most under-resourced communities in the country. A TED Talk presenter and winner of the Change Agent Award, Nadia will engage principals in an active discussion and provide them with reform strategies that can be immediately implemented in their schools. The cost to attend the session is $25. No formal registration is required but interested administrators must email Lisa Steimer at lsteimer@cabe.org. 

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Over the summer, the Office for Civil Rights published a Dear Colleague letter highlighting the recurring problems school districts are facing with respect to ADHD and emphasizing the need for districts to comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  A recent CT Education Law Blog piece, written by Attorney John Khalil of Berchem, Moses & Devlin, P.C., will help districts better understand and meet their obligations to students with ADHD under federal law. The piece includes links to helpful resources. 

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The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) has developed a toolkit to equip principals with the information and resources they need to constructively engage in the ESSA implementation process. The toolkit includes downloadable fact sheets on the major provisions of ESSA, tips for principals on how to communicate with their state leaders, and model legislation for states to use their Title II funding to support school leaders. Use this valuable resource and take advantage of the opportunity to work collaboratively with state legislators to develop and influence program funding in order to provide the highest quality education for your students.

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Following five sold-out sessions this fall, the College Board’s Alan Bernstein will return to CAS on December 13th to present an additional SAT and PSAT/NMSQT workshop. Alan will walk participants through the entire online scoring portal, review data reports and test item types, and discuss how assessments are linked to classroom instruction.

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The Boston Red Sox annually host educational days at Fenway and invite schools all over New England to participate. The Sox will sponsor the following education days in 2017:

• STEM Day (last year’s event included an egg drop off the Green Monster)
• Weather day
• Wildlife Day

These events are curriculum based and tied to Common Core standards. If interested, call or email Matt Labossiere, 617-226-6834 or mlabossiere@redsox.com.

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