Members of the Board of Education took a positive view of the results of a review of the public schools performed by a British consulting firm in November.
Cambridge Education, a UK-based group that has served as government inspectors in British schools, reported that the New London public schools are in need of improvement overall, but that the administration has taken steps toward that goal.
“I was pleasantly surprised,” board member Susan Connally said. “I take it as confirmation that we’re doing the right things.”
The state Department of Education commissioned the Cambridge review of New London and 11 other districts that are in the third year of improvements since being designated “in need of improvement” under federal No Child Left Behind guidelines.
The dossier looked at the district as a whole and included individual reports on New London High School, Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School, and C.B. Jennings School.
Deborah Richards, the chief of the department’s Bureau of Accountability, Compliance, and Monitoring, said, “New London did very well.”
“There are many things to build on,” she told the school board.
Richards was particularly impressed with the school board’s public recognition of student and employee achievement.
The Cambridge report gave high marks to Superintendent of Schools Christopher Clouet, noting that the district is “very well led and managed” and that he is “very well supported by his assistant and a dedicated team of professionals.”
The report also praised the public schools for its plan for future development, calling the leadership “innovative, imaginative, and not afraid to take well-calculated risks to bring about improvements urgently needed to increase students’ achievement.”
Cambridge also praised the school board and financial management of the district.
The report favorably noted the schools’ outreach to “external agencies” and singled out the school’s nutrition program as an asset.
The report, however, also cited areas where the school district needs to show improvement.
“Students’ achievement has to rise faster, and the district needs to focus on accelerating progress in English language arts, mathematics, and science,” it read.
Cambridge suggested that there be increased “targeted professional development” for leaders in the schools and noted the school district should rely heavily on data to drive and assess its improvements.
The school district already has in place a committee made up of teachers and administrators that examines data on progress.
Cambridge also suggested that the administration be wary of overloading new initiatives on teachers and staff.
The district must also improve the monitoring of school leadership and quality of classroom work.
The report suggested more “paired walkthroughs” with all principals, among other initiatives.
Finally, the report said that “stakeholders’ understanding and involvement” must continue to develop.
It states that the public schools “set out clearly for the whole community, the planned educational developments and changes planned for the next few years and ensure everyone in the community is aware of the range, status, leadership and governance arrangements, purposes, and characteristics of the different types of public schools serving the district.”
The report met with some criticism from board members.
Vice President Elaine Maynard-Adams said the report neglected to consider social aspects that may affect student achievement.
“Why is this all about education?” she asked, claiming it failed to mention factors such as poverty and health care.
Board member Elizabeth Garcia-Gonzalez said the report did not take into consideration language barriers when assessing the results of standardized tests.
“It’s wrong and unjust,” she said.
While the report dealt with an elementary school and the middle school, the findings will have a greater impact on the high school, as it is up for accreditation this fall.
“The report provides a focus for the high school,” Clouet said. “It’s all about instruction, instruction, instruction.”