Cafeteria Workers Contract Ratified, School AYP Results Explained

The Vernon Board of Education on Monday approved a new, three-year contract with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

Cafeteria works will get 2 percent raises each year over the next three years. New hires will be expected to participate in a Health Savings Account-based insurance plan. Workers will now need to work at least 30 hours in order to receive benefits. Under the old contract, employees only had to work 20 hours before receiving benefits.

The board approved the measure unanimously after an executive session.

Detailed AYP Results

Superintendent of Schools Mary Conway delivered the news to the Board of Education that a majority of its schools are not meeting the Adequate Yearly Progress requirements expected under federal No Child Left Behind legislation.

Lake Street School achieved AYP, while Skinner Road School met Safe Harbor, which means students who were in basic or below improved, Conway told the board Monday night.

Not all AYP news is bad news for the district.

The district met the AYP participation requirements throughout the district for the Connecticut Mastery Test and Connecticut Academic Performance Test. The district met AYP on its additional academic indicator in writing. It required students to be at 70 percent at or above basic. Rockville High School also met AYP for its additional academic indicator for graduation rate for 85 percent or annual improvement needed.

Conway explained that the data brings forth many questions for her.

“Are we ensuring our children have what they need?,” Conway said. “Did students have full access to the curriculum? We need to be looking and targeting our students individually.”

Center Road School

Center Road School is in its first year of not achieving AYP. If scores do not improve in 2012, CRS will be considered a school in need of improvement year one. In mathematics, a 91 percent proficiency rate was needed, CRS received 89.1. In reading the school needed 89 percent but achieved 81 percent.

Lake Street School

Lake Street School met AYP with a 100 percdent achievement rate in mathematics. A score of 91 percdent was needed. A score of 89 percent was needed in reading. The school received 91.4 percent.

Maple Street School

Maple Street School is in year three of in need of improvement. In mathematics a score of 91 percdent efficiency as needed. A score of 82 percent was achieved. In reading, 89 percent proficiency was needed. The achievement score was 68.7 percdent.

Northeast School

Northeast School is in year three of in need of improvement. A 91percent proficiency rate was needed to make AYP. Students scored 83.6 percent. In reading, 89 percent proficiency was needed. Students scored 73.1 percent.

Skinner Road School

Skinner Road School received safe harbor in reading. A proficiency score of 89 percent was needed, but the whole school received 83.6 percdent. Safe Harbor occurred because the economically disadvantaged group increased scores enough to put the school in safe harbor. The school met AYP in mathematics scores – 91 percent was needed, but 94.5 percent was achieved.

Vernon Center Middle School

Vernon Center Middle School is in year three of in need of improvement. In mathematics students needed to reach 91% proficiency, but achieved 87.1 percent. While in reading students needed 89 percent efficiency, but achieved 85.5 percent.

Rockville High School

Rockville High School is in year two of need of improvement for the CAPT.  In mathematics, a score of 90 percent proficient was needed, students achieved 82.1 percent. While in reading a 91 percent proficiency rate was needed. Students achieved 88.2 percent.

Conway stated that work has begun to assist students, but there is a lot more work ahead. The school board along with administrators in the district will meet Tuesday night to discuss the scores and further strategy to assist students with achieving proficient scores on academic tests.

“Curriculum is viable. It’s living. We need to make sure every single child has access to it,” Conway said. Scores will take care of themselves as curriculum is developed.”

Other Board Business

Conway also showed the board a draft of a restructuring plan. Conway explained that the district offices are working on job descriptions and organizing particularly the human resources side of the district. Conway explained that the process will take some time, but she hopes that all will be in place for July 1, 2012. She asked the board for suggestions.

The board approved an assembly to be held at Rockville High School for ninth and 10th grades on a controversial topic – domestic minor sex trafficking. School Resource Officer Earl Middleton of the Vernon Police Department explained the assembly that would be given by Love146. The assembly will occur at no cost to the district. The assembly is still in the planning stages. Notification and permission will be provided to parents.

The board also approved the Parent Teacher Organization at Maple Street School to fund additional playground equipment at the school.