August 23, 2005 at 7:00 PM - 8-23-05 Regular Board Meeting

Rationale:  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PERSONAL SERVICE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN MIDDLETOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE BOARD FOR STATE ACADEMIC AWARDS/CONNECTICUT DISTANCE LEARNING CONSORTIUM · This is the third year that Middletown Adult Education has been a key participant in the Connecticut Virtual Adult High School project. · Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium provides design, instructional, and support services which include: - On-line course delivery platforms - Faculty development - Seven-day help desk - Student support services - Instructional design - Professional development training for instructors · This agenda item will authorize the Superintendent of Schools to enter into and to execute any and all said personal service agreements between the Middletown Public Schools and the Board of State Academic Awards/Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium.

Rationale:  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EARLY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES GRANT The Middletown School Readiness Council, whose fiscal agent is the Middletown Board of Education, is applying to the U.S. Department of Education for an Early Learning Opportunities grant to implement Reducing the Readiness Gap (RRG). The program will be located in Middletown and will serve the city’s young children and their families, early childhood educators, and early childhood healthcare providers. The project’s primary goal is to ensure that all Middletown children enter school with the skills and abilities they need to succeed and will have a long-term sustainable impact with measurable results. The project will focus on six goals: Goal 1: Improve the quality of early learning programs through professional development and training activities. Goal 2: Promote effective parenting by increasing and enhancing parental and caregiver childrearing abilities through instruction and application in child development and healthy parent-child interaction. Goal 3: Increase the capacity of parents, caregivers, providers, and educators to facilitate cognitive development, language comprehension, expressive language, socio-emotional and motor skills, and promote learning readiness. Goal 4: Enhance early childhood literacy by building on earlier collaborative efforts and increasing the number of families who are reading to children on a regular basis. Goal 5: Increase access to early learning programs by expanding the number of young children served. Goal 6: Further develop health care and early childcare linkages. This project responds to locally-identified needs and strengths, and builds upon accomplishments resulting from Middletown’s strong community-based commitment to improve the quality of the early care system that serves children and families, particularly those at greatest risk of low educational achievement. The project will be overseen and administered by the Middletown School Readiness Council, an eight-year collaborative composed of the local programs serving children from birth to age five. Proposed Funding Request: $784,442 SUBMITTED BY ELIZABETH K. NOCERA, GRANTS COORDINATOR

Rationale:  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EARLY READING SUCCESS GRANT The district is applying to the State Department of Education for an Early Reading Success continuation grant. Due to the district’s loss of Priority School District status, Middletown must now apply competitively for Early Reading Success funding each year. Grant funds may only be used for Grades K-3. The grant award is $100,000 per year. The State strongly encouraged districts in Year 1 of the project to target one school for the most effective impact of the resources. Moody School was selected to participate in the project. It is required that 50% of the funded initiative be devoted to developing and implementing intensive early intervention reading programs, including summer and after-school programs, for students in Grades K-3. The district elects to allocate 100% of the funding on intensive early reading intervention. Moody School will continue implementation of the Literacy Collaborative model for 2005-06, to ensure for the provision of a period of time each day of individualized or small group instruction for each student that includes: · Literacy instruction based in theory · Reading Recovery safety net · Instructional framework for individualized instruction During the 2004-05 school year, the Literacy Coordinator participated in 50 hours of intensive literacy training at Lesley College. For the 2005-06 school year, the Literacy Coordinator will teach children daily in a classroom using the Literacy Collaborative framework. In addition to three hours of instruction every day, the Literacy Coordinator will provide demonstration lessons and coach teachers in other primary classrooms in the school. The Literacy Coordinator will continue to teach half time and provide support to teachers half time. Funding: $100,000 SUBMITTED BY ELIZABETH K. NOCERA, GRANTS COORDINATOR

Rationale:  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING DATES 2005 - 2006 · Each year the Board of Education establishes meeting dates for regular meetings during the school year as required by Public Act No. 75-342. · At its January 11, 2005 Board of Education meeting, the Board approved the August, 2005 – December, 2005 regular meeting dates. · Board approval is required for the January, 2006 through June, 2006 regular meeting dates.

Rationale:  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THOMAS EDISON MAGNET SCHOOL (TEMS) · With the additional State contribution for students attending magnet schools, as approved by the Legislature, Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES) will be able to apply the State’s contribution of $6,250 per child toward Middletown’s tuition for the 2005-2006 school year. The total tuition for the 145 students Middletown will send to TEMS will be $504,455.00, at the Middletown tuition rate of $3,479.00 per child. This is reduced from the 2004-2005 Middletown payment for 125 students. · With Board of Education approval, the tuition contribution will eliminate the need for TEMS and the Steering Committee to approve any “free” Middletown students, and will more equitably represent TEMS enrollment and school district participation.

Rationale:  TO: Michael Frechette, Ph.D., Superintendent of Schools FROM: Ken Jackson, Director of Facilities KJ DATE: August 12, 2005 RE: New High School / Vo-Ag Project Per your request, to follow is an update regarding the new High School and Vocational Agriculture projects. - As you are aware, the bids were received for the project on June 27, 2005 and the construction costs came in substantially over budget. After weeks of analysis of the bid results by DeCarlo & Doll and TBI Construction the variance between the pre-referendum budget and the current project estimate has been determined to be $18,079,115. - Mayor Thornton entered into a professional services agreement with Pinnacle One for third party review services to assist the City determine as definitively as possible the reasons for the cost overages and assist in the on-going value engineering process. The Mayor will recommend that the Building Committee approve using Pinnacle One’s services throughout the course of the project at the next Building Committee meeting. - Since Pinnacle One has been involved with the project several meetings have been held by Pinnacle One with representatives of DeCarlo & Doll, TBI, the Building Committee, and Board of Education administration representatives. There is a clear understanding with all parties involved that the primary goal is to determine the means and methods to move the project forward without compromise to the educational specifications approved by the Board of Education. - More information should be available after the August 17, 2005 Building Committee meeting that can be reported to the Board of Education on August 23rd. Please advise if you require any additional information at this time.

Rationale:  Please see the document in your Board packet.

Rationale:  8/23/05 PERSONNEL ACTION: Leave of Absence: - Mary Seymour, Social Studies Teacher (Middletown High School) employed in Middletown since August 2002, has requested a child-rearing leave of absence for the remainder of the 2005-06 school year. The effective date is December 1, 2005. - Amanda Thomson, Vo-Ag Teacher (Middletown High School) employed in Middletown since August 2002, has requested a child-rearing leave of absence for the remainder of the 2005-06 school year. The effective date is November 13, 2005. - Karla Quinn, Elementary Teacher (Bielefield School) employed in Middletown since August 1994, has requested an extension for the entire 2005-2006 school year. Her previously approved (3/8/05) child-rearing leave of absence was granted until August 2005. The effective date was April 29, 2005. Appointment: - Christopher Briggs, is nominated as an English Teacher (Middletown High School). His position on the salary scale is Step 1 of the Bachelor’s Salary Scale, salary $39,797.00. Mr. Briggs earned his Baccalaureate at the University of Hartford. - Sarah Claffey, 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. Claffey earned her Baccalaureate at Saint Joseph College. - Eric Leaf, is nominated as a School Psychologist (Bielefield/Macdonough Schools). His position on the salary scale is Step 1 of the 6th Year Salary Scale, salary $46,040.00. Mr. Leaf earned his Baccalaureate at Michigan State University and his Master’s and 6th Year at the University of Connecticut. - Erica Lyding, 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. Lyding earned her Baccalaureate at Mount Saint Mary College. - Stacey Hubbard, is nominated as an Elementary Teacher (Bielefield School). Her position on the salary scale is Step 1 of the Master’s Salary Scale, salary $44,480.00. Ms. Hubbard earned her Baccalaureate at Central Connecticut State University and her Master’s at the University of Bridgeport. - Michele Niedmann, is nominated as a School Psychologist (Middletown High School). Her position on the salary scale is Step 2 of the 6th Year Salary Scale, salary $46,892.00. Ms. Niedmann earned her Baccalaureate at Quinnipiac University and her Master’s and 6th Year at Southern Connecticut State University. Personnel Action Page 2 – 8/23/05 - Terra Piela, is nominated as a .8 Math Teacher (Woodrow Wilson Middle School). Her position on the salary scale is Step 10 of the 6th Year Salary Scale, salary $58,166. 00 (pro-rated). Ms. Piela earned her Baccalaureate at Bentley College, her Master’s at Saint Joseph College, and her 6th Year at Sacred Heart University. STATUS OF CERTIFIED EMPLOYMENT: Vacancies: There is an Assistant Principal position at Middletown High School, which is presently being filled by an Interim. RESIGNATIONS: - Beverly Blount-Lawrence, Social Studies Teacher (Keigwin School) employed in Middletown since August 2000, has submitted her resignation to take a position in another district. - Lauren DeFrancesco, School Psychologist (Bielefield/Macdonough Schools) employed in Middletown since August 2003, has submitted her resignation to take a position in another district. - Sabin Loveland, Mathematics Teacher (Middletown High School) employed in Middletown since August 2004, has submitted his resignation to take a position in another district. - Amy Martino, School Psychologist (Middletown High School) employed in Middletown since September 2004, has submitted her resignation to take a position in another district. - Anne Papallo, Mathematics Teacher (Middletown High School) employed in Middletown since August 1997, has submitted her resignation to take a position in another district. - Terra Piela, Assistant Princ