There is no one in the Connecticut education community who hasn’t heard the name Jahana Hayes. She is the spirited and sprightly teacher from John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury who was recently named National Teacher of the Year. She is also the keynote speaker for this year’s CAS-CAPSS convocation! The annual convocation will be held at the Aqua Turf on September 20, 2016, with buffet stations open at 5:00 p.m. Register now to jumpstart the 2016-2017 year with an infusion of Jahana’s energy and inspiration!

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Principals and assistant principals in years 1-3 of their leadership careers are encouraged to participate in the CAS Leadership Academy during the coming academic year. Comprised of six morning workshop sessions, the Academy offers newer school leaders needed information on such topics as coordinating effective PPTs, holding difficult conversations, avoiding legal pitfalls, implementing successful literacy strategies, and ensuring effective hiring practices. Each Academy session features a presenter or panel of practitioners followed by a facilitated discussion led by veteran CT administrators. Participants can pick and choose specific sessions of interest at the time of registration. Take advantage of the professional learning and networking opportunities that the Academy affords. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR CAS MEMBER SCHOOLS!

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In its 2016 legislative sessions, the Connecticut General Assembly made a number of statutory changes that affect Connecticut school districts. The Connecticut State Department of Education has prepared a comprehensive summary of newly enacted bills that affect schools and/or school personnel. Download this helpful resource. 

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In late May, U.S. Secretary of Education John King published his proposed regulations for the implementation of the provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), regarding accountability systems and state plans. The public was afforded a two-month window in which to react to and comment on those proposals. In response, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) issued a joint letter outlining principals’ areas of concern regarding the department’s proposed regulatory actions. CAS has signed on in support of this letter and will continue to monitor and engage with our membership on the state’s ESSA implementation efforts.

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CAS is sponsoring a two-day training session on September 12 and 13 to acquaint school leaders with the provisions of the state’s administrator evaluation model. Designed for evaluators of administrators as well as administrators who will be undergoing the evaluative process, the training is offered without charge and is sponsored by the Connecticut State Department of Education. The Administrator Evaluation Foundational Skills Two-Day Workshop will be held at the CAS offices in Cheshire from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day. Register now!

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On September 21st and October 5th, two noted assessment presenters, Barbara Beaudin and Linda Kauffman, will facilitate a professional learning community experience focusing on the state’s comprehensive student assessment system. Day 1 will be an overview of the formative assessment process with a look at quality performance tasks. Day 2 will examine the process and criteria for developing quality performance tasks. This two-day workshop, sponsored jointly by CAS and EASTCONN, is open to district and building administrators, curriculum developers, instructional specialists and teacher leaders. Register now as space is limited!

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This fall, CAS, in collaboration with the College Board, is offering six half-day workshops on the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT. Presenter Alan Bernstein, senior director of the College Board, will discuss test item types, score scales, and links between the assessments and classroom instruction. Considerable time will be spent demonstrating the online score report system and the various data reports that are available. Click here for workshop dates and details.

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The State Department of Education has just released preliminary results from the first Connecticut SAT School Day, showing that of the Connecticut 11th graders who took the exam, 65 percent are meeting or exceeding the achievement standard in English language arts (ELA), and 39.3 percent are meeting or exceeding the achievement standard in mathematics. These results set a baseline year of data from which to measure future growth. The CSDE also published the 2016-17 calendar of testing windows for the state summative student assessments.

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Fund for Teachers awards summer fellowship grants to pre-K-12 teachers to pursue self-designed professional learning. Teachers decide what they want to learn and where they want to learn it. Their odysseys take them all over the world – as scientists, researchers, artists and agents of change – and they return to their classrooms with new ideas that transform student learning and achievement. This professional learning opportunity is provided at no cost to the school system and without the need of significant administrative support. Please consider sharing information about Fund for Teachers with your staff. This outstanding opportunity has the potential to transform your teachers and your school in significant and exciting ways. Click below to learn more. 

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On October 27th and 28th, the Hamden Public Schools are hosting a two-day ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training course. Open to school personnel at all levels, the course provides a set of proactive, options-based strategies that increase one’s chances of survival during a dangerous intruder or active shooter event. Participants will learn skills and procedures to help them minimize risks and maximize safety as they wait for law enforcement to arrive on scene.

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