Does your district have a newly appointed special education administrator? If so, don’t miss this opportunity to receive special education coaching services at no cost. The CSDE and CAS have developed a coaching model to support special education administrators who are in years one through three in their positions. Limited funding is available - through a competitive grant process - that will allow districts to enjoy the benefits of a coach without incurring any expense. The deadline for submission of a grant application is next Thursday.

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The CAS Principal of the Year Award Program was established in 1984 to bring recognition to high-achieving school principals and to increase public awareness of the critical role that principals play in the education of our youth. The program honors outstanding principals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership, a passion for educational excellence, a commitment to their students and staff, and service to their communities. If you know or work with an outstanding school administrator, please consider nominating him or her for this prestigious award.

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Every school in Connecticut is blessed with parents and other volunteers who contribute to its success. Here's an opportunity to honor those individuals! Join us on March 15th at the Aqua Turf for the 17th Annual Volunteer Recognition Banquet. This event is designed to provide principals with a forum for giving public recognition to those volunteers who have made their schools better places to learn and work. Register now!

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The next session of the 2016-17 Principals’ Leadership Series (PLS) will be held on January 17th at the CAS office. This half-day workshop will feature Diane Dugas, educational consultant and former superintendent, who will examine leadership practices that foster teacher growth and learning. Strengthen your leadership skills and learn news ways to help the adults in your school meet the complex teaching demands of the 21st Century. Register for any or all of the remaining sessions now!

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The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that states develop and submit a consolidated state plan to the U.S. Department of Education. The CSDE has developed a stakeholder survey to gather feedback from all constituent groups to ensure that Connecticut’s plan reflects the needs of all educators, students and community members. The survey closes on December 15th. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas and help shape Connecticut’s transition to the new federal law.

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Do you know a student who is involved in the arts and has demonstrated exemplary ‘heart’ – i.e., integrity, citizenship, good character – in his or her chosen activity; has exceeded normal expectations in assisting others within the school community; or, has overcome adversity or a challenging circumstance? If so, please consider submitting a nomination for the “CAS Heart of the Arts Award.” This award recognizes students involved in high school performing or visual arts programs who exemplify the core values of education-based activities. The deadline for nominations is January 24th.

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Now in its third year, Connecticut's middle school debate program is going strong! CTMSDL's largest event to date was held at Smith Middle School in Glastonbury on December 3, 2016. One hundred eighty-three students from seventeen schools debated the motion: This House would make voting in US elections compulsory.

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For the past two years, the Connecticut State Department of Education, in partnership with CAS and the RESC Alliance, has hosted the Moving from Compliance to Coherence Conference, which has provided a forum through which educators from across the state can share their promising practices. This is a conference for educators, by educators! The third annual conference will be held on March 9, 2017, and will feature practitioners who have developed or implemented systems for providing effective feedback to increase student and adult learning.

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According to the results from a new matched student growth model released by the State Department of Education yesterday, Connecticut students demonstrated significant year-to-year growth in English language arts and math on the Smarter Balanced exam. Across the state, students on average achieved 63.8% of their growth targets in English language arts and 65.0% of their growth targets in math. This is the first year Connecticut has been able to measure student growth on Smarter Balanced tests.

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