State Steps Up Funding For Turnaround Schools

In an unexpected bonus for the city’s cash-strapped public schools, the state offered an extra $340,000 to help two elementaries complete a turnaround.

Fair Haven and Lincoln-Bassett, two neighborhood schools that have struggled against poverty and language barriers, will receive an infusion of cash to help improve their test scores.

“I guess they like us,” said Iline Tracey, an assistant superintendent.

The supplemental School Improvement Grants, funded by the Connecticut State Department of Education, were discussed at Monday night’s Finance & Operations Committee meeting at Central Office.

At Fair Haven, a K‑8 school with 820 students, Principal Heriberto Cordero said he wants to put a big chunk of the grant money into supports for English language learners.

He plans to purchase licenses and training for Imagine Learning, a computer program that allows students to work on math and literacy at their own pace; textbooks and other kits in multiple languages; and a comprehensive review of their bilingual programs by Quality Teaching for English Learners, a consultancy that provides programmatic recommendations and on-site coaching.

A year from now, Cordero said, he hopes to see a five-point jump in reading and math in the percentage of high-needs students who are on grade level.

At Lincoln-Bassett, a PreK‑6 school with 390 students in Newhallville, Principal Rosalind Garcia said she wants to focus her grant on project-based learning.

She plans to create a ​“Project-Based Learning Lab” at the school, complete with two part-time tutors and a cart of iPads and Chromebooks; buy a library on project-based instruction for staff and books for kids; and hire a consultant for on-site training, likely Solution Tree.

A year from now, Garcia hopes to see a four-point jump in the percentage of students who are meeting all their growth targets for the year — a sign that they’re making enough year-over-year progress to catch up to grade level.