Archive 2015-16

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June 2016

• Information about the reading survey requirement for K-3 teachers. (June 22, 2016)
• The State Board of Education adopted the Guidelines for Mastery-Based Learning (MBL) at its meeting on June 3. A list of frequently asked questions about MBL is also available. (June 17, 2015)
• View a recording of the June 15, 2016, webinar, ESSA Overview & 2016 Regulatory Process. Download the presentation (PDF).
• Data collection and reporting updates/reminders (June 14, 2016)
• New statewide professional learning opportunity: ReadConn (June 13, 2016) 
• Read the June 2016 issue of the Performance Office newsletter

May 2016

• Guidance for districts regarding transgender students and refugees (May 19, 2016)
• Information on the 2017 Teacher of the Year program (May 19, 2016)
• Racial composition statistics for school districts to analyze any disparity in racial diversity that may exist among their schools (May 16, 2016)
• Results from the March 2, 2016, Connecticut SAT School Day assessment will be available to students using their accounts through the College Board portal on May 10, 2016. Districts will be able to download their data through the portal on May 12. More information (May 9, 2016)
• Kindergarten assessment (May 2, 2016)
• Read the May 2016 issue of the Performance Office newsletter

April 2016

• Increased flexibility for the Connecticut Physical Fitness Assessment (April 26, 2016)
• Updates on ESEA, PEAC, BloomBoard, Compliance to Coherence Conference (April 21, 2016)
• Qualifications for instructors of American Sign Language (ASL) for world language high school credit (April 20, 2016)

March 2016

• Academic Office newsletter for March 2016
• Connecticut SAT School Day Letter for Parents/Guardians regarding score: 
  • English
  • English
  • Spanish
  • Spanish
• Carl D. Perkins Grant - Intent to Apply forms are due by April 29, 2016 (March 14, 2016)
• Statutory references about student participation in annual state assessments (March 11, 2016)
• The Turnaround Office released its March 2016 newsletter

February 2016

• Improving Participation Rates on State Assessments Roundtable Materials (February 29, 2016)
  • Improving Participation Rates on State Assessments
  • Communication Maxims for Principals and Superintendents
  • The Importance of Communication
  • Sample Communication Calendar

January 2016

• Academic Office newsletter for January 2016 (January 26, 2016)
• The ED003 form, which collects information on teacher and administrator contracts, is due from districts by March 4, 2016 (January 22, 2016)
• Update on Evaluation and Support of Adult Educators (January 21, 2016)
• Applications for the 2017 Anne Marie Murphy Paraeducator of the Year are now being accepted (January 15, 2016)

December 2015

• Academic Office newsletter for December 2015 (December 22, 2015)
  • SAT family brochure, SAT FAQs - Districts, SAT FAQs - Superintendents
• FY 2016 grant application revision for adult education forms ED-245 and ED-245A (December 21, 2015)
• The biennial review of universal screening reading assessments for grades K-3 will begin in March 2016 (December 11, 2015)

November 2015

• The State Board of Education approved the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (November 4, 2015)
• The Turnaround Office released its November 2015 newsletter

October 2015

• Academic Office newsletter for October 2015 (October 30, 2015)
• The 2016 statewide SAT administration date is Wednesday, March 2, 2016. The 2016 statewide SAT makeup date is Wednesday, April 27, 2016. In the unlikely event of a weather delay on Wednesday, March 2, 2016, the Connecticut SAT may be administered as long as the delay is not more than 90 minutes. Delays beyond 90 minutes cause elevated test security risks and will require the district to administer the Connecticut SAT on the makeup date. View additional details (October 30, 2015)
• Important information about college career pathways and dual enrollment courses (October 27, 2015)
• Survey regarding the 2016 Smarter Balanced assessment testing window (October 27, 2015)
• The State Board of Education approved the adoption of the SAT as the mastery examination to be administered to Grade 11 students, effective spring 2016 (October 7, 2015)
• The State Board of Education approved the adoption of the Connecticut English Language Proficiency Standards (October 7, 2015)
• The Turnaround Office released its October 2015 newsletter

September 2015

• Highlights from Connecticut's approved ESEA flexibility request (September 22, 2015)
• A message from the Department of Consumer Protection about epinephrine in public schools and a list of properly credentialed drug wholesalers (September 9, 2015)
• Academic Office newsletter for September 2015 (September 8, 2015)
• The State Department of Education issued a set of Smarter Balanced Parent Guides, parent resources for understanding what their children should learn and be able to do this year, and helpful suggestions for supporting children’s learning at home. 

August 2015

• Districts are asked to update contact information for their homeless education liaisons in accordance with the McKinney-Vento act (August 31, 2015)
• The State Board of Education approved resolutions related to concussions and sudden cardiac arrest (August 24, 2015)
• A summary of education-related legislation enacted in the 2015 sessions of the Connecticut General Assembly (August 20, 2015)
• New legislation makes significant modifications to the minimum budget requirement (MBR) calculation (August 19, 2015)
• Uniform Chart of Accounts (UCOA) update (August 19, 2015)
• Addressing and reducing chronic absenteeism (August 19, 2015)
• Connecticut's State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) (August 19, 2015)
• Professional development opportunities (August 19, 2015)
• Commissioner's Back-to-School Meeting (August 19, 2015)
• Brief summary of LEAD CT programs (August 19, 2015)
• A toolkit of Smarter Balanced assessment materials is available for district use. These materials may be customized when presenting Smarter Balanced results to educators, boards of education, families, and community members. The Smarter Balanced Results Toolkit and Supports for Districts, Schools, and Educators are available in the August 3, 2015, edition of Student Assessment News. (August 3, 2015)
• The Turnaround Office released its August 2015 newsletter

July 2015

• Updates on professional learning and the rubric validation process (July 10, 2015)