The federal “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB) law requires that all children be proficient in reading and math by the school year. It places pressure on states to improve student achievement and close academic gaps among students of different racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds. The law also provides for corrective actions that must take place for schools/districts that fail to improve. In August 2003 the State Department of Education notified 149 elementary and middle schools in 34 districts that they did not make “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP) in reaching the goal of all students being proficient in reading and math by the school year. Districts need to make the AYP list for two consecutive years before the district receives a designation of “In Need of Improvement”. The consequence for schools being designated as “In Need of Improvement” is a five-year cumulative set of corrective actions ranging from public school choice to alternative governance. In an effort to help schools/districts to face the challenge offered by NCLB, Governor Rowland is proposing a comprehensive plan that offers strategies designed not only to intervene in districts that have been designated as not making “Adequate Yearly Progress”, but also to proactively ensure that pre-school children in poor performing districts will be prepared to succeed in school. The cornerstone of his plan is the continued expansion of access to quality pre-school programs for all children. Recent research has shown the significant role pre-school plays in preparing children to become successful learners and in closing the achievement gaps among Connecticut’s students, regardless of socio-economic background. Expanded pre-school programs will be supplemented with the expansion of Early Reading Success programs for children in grades K – 3, which combine both proactive strategies through offering reduced class sizes and full-day kindergarten, and intervention strategies through intensive reading programs, including after-school and summer school programs. In addition, summer school programs will be expanded to further assist districts in helping their children become proficient students. Targeted aid will be provided for the sixteen schools currently designated as “in need of improvement” for failure to make “adequate yearly progress” for at least 2 years. Those schools will receive School Improvement Grants to be used for specific immediate educational purposes identified by a needs assessment as critical to the immediate improvement of academic achievement in the school. Students in the 42 elementary and middle schools that did not make “adequate yearly progress” and had whole school academic deficiencies in Math and Reading will be eligible to apply for the newly created Equal Opportunity Scholarships. These scholarships can be used for tuition, books, and uniforms at non-public schools. In addition to current public school choice options this will provide approximately 500 children with an additional opportunity for a diverse, high-quality educational experience. In addition to the steps outlined above, the Governor will continue his commitment to the existing public school choice options: Magnet Schools, Charter Schools, OPEN Choice, and the Regional Vocational-Technical School System. To address the ongoing funding issue facing RESC operated Magnet Schools, legislation will be proposed to require districts participating in these schools to pay a more equitable share of the operating costs.

Overview “No Child Left Behind”

“No Child Left Behind” Consequences of Not Making Adequate Yearly Progress Year 1 – Public Identification Year 2 – Designated “In Need of Improvement” Consequences for TITLE I Schools/Districts Identified in Year 2 as “In Need of Improvement”:  Year 1 – Public School Choice Option  Year 2 – Supplemental Services Must be Made Available  Year 3 – Corrective Action  Year 4 – Develop Restructuring Plan  Year 5 – Alternative Governance

Criteria for Making Adequate Yearly Progress  Percent of students proficient on the CMT and CAPT Reading Subtest and Mathematics Subtest:  Whole School and Subgroups, including:  Major Racial/Ethnic Subgroups  Students with Disabilities  English Language Learners  Economically Disadvantaged (Free and Reduced-Lunch)  Based on Scoring Levels of:  Advanced  Goal  Proficient  Basic  Below Basic  Elementary and Middle Schools – Writing: 70% At Basic or Above or Annual Improvement  High Schools – 70% Graduation Rate or Annual Improvement  95% Participation of School and Subgroups on Standard, Out of Level, or CMT/CAPT Checklist Source: State Dept. of Education

Federal Starting Point for CT Accountability (using CMT and CAPT Results) CMTCAPT 65%59%Proficient in Mathematics 57%62%Proficient in Reading 95%95%Participation in Testing Target by :  100% Proficient in Math and Reading  Minimum of 95% Participation Source: State Dept. of Education

Connecticut Schools Designated as “In Need of Improvement” Under NCLB (as of August 2003) District# of SchoolsEnrollment Designation Bridgeport2 Elementary Schools 1,431Corrective Action 2 High Schools 2,949Public School Choice Hartford3 Elementary Schools 1,547Corrective Action 1 High School 1,294Public School Choice New Haven2 Elementary Schools 1,318Corrective Action 1 Middle School 446Corrective Action 1 High School 188Public School Choice RVTSS4 High Schools 2,493Public School Choice TOTAL16 Schools11,666 Students

Summary of Governor’s Education Initiative to Close the Achievement Gap

Plan Highlights Programs: Targeted School Improvement Grants Equal Opportunity Scholarships Expand Access to Quality Pre-school Programs Provide Additional Resources to Early Reading Success and Summer School Programs Continue Expansion of Public School Choice Options: –Magnet Schools –Charter Schools –OPEN Choice –Regional Vocational-Technical Schools New Funding: $ 1,200,000 $ 1,500,000 $ 14,000,000 $ 2,000,000 $ 61,639,217 $ 17,832,000 $ 10,640,000 $130,814,882

Targeted School Improvement Grants The Governor’s plan will provide School Improvement Grants to districts that are in the first three years of the designation of “in need of improvement” using the criteria the federal “No Child Left Behind” law. This state grant ($75,000 per school) would be provided to school districts after a comprehensive needs assessment was conducted by an outside review team comprised of Department of Education staff and other qualified individuals. The grant can be used for specific immediate educational purposes identified by the needs assessment as critical to the immediate improvement of academic achievement in the school district. Local school districts must match each $75,000 grant with $25,000 in local funds. Eligible District/No. of SchoolsGrant Bridgeport – 4 Schools$ 300,000 Hartford – 4 Schools$ 300,000 New Haven – 4 Schools$ 300,000 RVTSS - 4 Schools$ 300,000 TOTAL GRANT$1,200,000

Equal Opportunity Scholarships  Students who attend one of the 42 schools identified, as of August 2003, as having “whole school achievement deficiencies” in math and reading under the NCLB criteria will be eligible to apply for “Equal Opportunity Scholarships”. Each scholarship will total $4,000 and can be used for tuition, books, and uniforms at both private and parochial schools.  The State will dedicate $1.5 million in new funds to be used for these scholarships. These state funds shall be given out in amounts of $3,000 per eligible student. Legislation will also be proposed requiring the districts containing these schools to match the State’s $3,000 with $1,000 in local funding. This will bring the total scholarship amount to $4,000 per student. In addition, the district must provide these students with transportation to the private/parochial school at the district’s expense as long as the alternative school is within the student’s town or in an abutting town.  In addition to current public school choice options this will provide approximately 500 children with an additional opportunity for a high quality educational experience.

Expand Access to Quality Pre-School Programs The Governor’s plan will add $14 million in funding to expand pre-school slots in all current Priority School Districts, 11 of which have schools identified in August 2003 as having schools “not making adequate yearly progress” with “whole school achievement deficiencies” under the criteria of NCLB. Slots will be offered first to 4 year-olds, who will be entering kindergarten the following school year. In the school year, the average percentage of children who attended pre- school in the municipalities that make up Education Reference Group (ERG) A was 85%, while in ERG I the average percentage was 58%. All 11 districts identified as having schools “not making adequate yearly progress” with “whole school achievement deficiencies” are currently designated as Priority School Districts and fall into ERG designations H and I. The current school readiness program provides funding for nearly 6,300 children. The additional funding recommended in the Governor’s plan would allow for 2,000 new full-time, full-day slots.

Educational Reference Groups ERG A:ERG B: Avon Bethel Darien Brookfield Easton Cheshire New Canaan Fairfield Redding Farmington Ridgefield Glastonbury Simsbury Granby Weston Greenwich Westport Guilford Wilton Madison Woodbridge Marlborough Region 9 Monroe New Fairfield Newtown Orange South Windsor Trumbull West Hartford Region 5 ERG H:ERG I: Ansonia Bridgeport Bristol Hartford Danbury New Britain Derby New Haven East Hartford New London Killingly Waterbury Meriden Windham Middletown Norwalk Norwich Putnam Stamford West Haven Norwich Free Academy Highlighted Districts were identified as having schools designated as “in need of improvement: and having “whole school achievement deficiencies” under NCLB.

Expand Early Reading Success and Summer School Grant Programs Early Reading Success:  The Governor’s proposal would add $1million in funding to the existing Early Reading Success Program targeted to the current Priority School Districts, 11 of which have schools identified as of August 2003 as “not making adequate yearly progress” with “whole school achievement deficiencies” in accordance with NCLB criteria. These funds will complement the approximately $13 million in federal “Reading First Initiative” funds the State has received, which are to be dedicated to the same purpose. The state currently spends about $20 million on Early Reading Success. The Early Reading Success program is designed to implement a three-year plan to improve the reading skills of students in grades kindergarten to three, who are in Priority School Districts. Funds can be used for: (1) establishing full day kindergartens; (2) reducing class size in grades kindergarten to three; and (3) establishing intensive early intervention reading programs, including after-school and summer programs, for students identified as being at risk of failing to read by the end of first grade, and students in grades one to three, inclusive, who are reading below grade level. Summer School: The Governor’s proposal would add $1 million in funding to the existing Summer School Program. As with the Early Reading Success Program, these funds will also be dedicated to the current Priority School Districts.

Current Public School Choice Options Interdistrict Magnet Schools – For the school year, 36 magnet schools serve 11,335 students statewide. These programs are designed to support racial, ethnic, and economic diversity while offering a high quality, special curriculum. Charter Schools – For the school year, 12 charter schools serve 2,281 students statewide. They offer innovative educational programs and are another vehicle for reducing the racial and economic isolation in Connecticut’s public schools. OPEN Choice – The OPEN Choice program allows urban students to attend public schools in nearby suburban towns and vice versa. The program includes Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven and their surrounding districts. For the current school year an estimated 1,559 students are participating in the program. Regional Vocational-Technical School System – The Regional Vocational-Technical School System operates 17 high schools and 2 satellite programs statewide. Current secondary enrollment is 11,377 while the adult day programs enroll an additional 622 students.

History of State Expenditures for Public School Choice Programs

History of Enrollment in Public School Choice Programs