[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6569761,"mediaKeyId","3291200-adcf5426b007f6574fac425e243fba39","parentId",3291200,"title","Board approves Henley assistant‑principal appointments and accepts baby‑grand piano donation to DHS","audioSeconds",447,"startMs",690000,"endMs",1137000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3291200-adcf5426b007f6574fac425e243fba39&start=690&end=1137","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3291200-adcf5426b007f6574fac425e243fba39/thumbnail_690000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6569761/Connecticut/Board-approves-Henley-assistantprincipal-appointments-and-accepts-babygrand-piano-donation-to-DHS","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6569761-17bcf3d3dfc755c4f73888f64e14b395/orig.mp4?Expires=1771065264&Signature=VJxaRlaOHymUEtSkUj3Zdoj00e~LQRF1sI3BVYqv4mFChaXOYauo7dEKGUvAICUBh4qSiQSkzN4uawQPnUnNXo7DjwNrHeGuDk~WAsGHWc-h2g7HYWiOd27nixkB3UAHg~jtdGL7pSJ5y9677~-VMExgNFdCT7qGzUwOMWXZATLXOBwrN1uRSdu2yJgrvKks2SR8tFA7eLqAOvHfY394Mn-bG55nIwvYDW78nFxMa~N4VaDuCfGAwGwJNrQStmwIzrtKNAy3zJAm3U62ZDcEjyRi~E4N9z-hCBzRNQrjLNmzi~o1ChAYPmGGsglb5i4TYR5ZYgVLxQTV0V4p6iTBDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Darien School District","date","2025-05-13T23:30:40Z","article","The Darien Board of Education approved two personnel appointments for Henley Elementary School and accepted a contemplated gift to the high school music program.

Personnel approvals: The board unanimously approved the appointment of Marybeth Giannattasio as assistant principal for Henley Elementary School (motion by Greg, seconded by Joanna) and the appointment of Christina Bridal Taylor as SCSS assistant principal for Henley Elementary School (motion by Dennis, seconded by Joanna). Both appointees addressed the board, thanking members and saying they look forward to serving the Henley community.

Gift acceptance: The board also unanimously approved the acceptance of a contemplated gift — a Yamaha baby‑grand piano — offered by community members Jack and Stephanie DeVita for use in the Darien High School orchestra room to replace a piano described as over 70 years old. A staff member identified as Colleen presented the gift proposal to the board and the board thanked the donors.

The motions were recorded and passed unanimously; details are included in the actions block. The board also noted a regular seasonal pattern of retirements and resignations and that this year there will not be a layoff because a number of paraprofessionals retired or resigned.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BOE Regular Meeting - May 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board unanimously approved two assistant‑principal appointments at Henley Elementary and accepted a donated Yamaha baby‑grand piano for Darien High School’s orchestra; new appointees spoke briefly and donors were thanked.","taxTitle","Darien School District, School Districts, Connecticut","taxId",55224,"location","Connecticut","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6569766,"Board accepts superintendent resignation, appoints interim and hires search firm",297,533000,830000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3291200-adcf5426b007f6574fac425e243fba39&start=533&end=830","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3291200-adcf5426b007f6574fac425e243fba39/thumbnail_533000.jpg","/articles/6569766/Connecticut/Board-accepts-superintendent-resignation-appoints-interim-and-hires-search-firm","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6569766-18d39978456592ab8a6bb43d820fcc20/orig.mp4?Expires=1771065264&Signature=i7dbI45zJuJfNq9CMP9OB1seNIUMGUHhOqn8OCUWVvF~mev~Xyy7T6FpgwlCy~Y0wDSmiKk-NzMO3zL~JBJgUklr8PnMoGJ1GmqdKWP63gkwHK2GAANz2KThRWe1hOikhxE-EzAWUOk0bqF0VBf-bT0cL50SCY-uGmYox2IujtiCtVLsyPQYtp7c5dQj1VQ0iaO4zAon6PrpocNDO5rFG69y1GXHhEewkgSSdAU-sProKnPEcq4Rbh1qNoIARg8NBmE5pNuMzizOGa81A51Z0JrE9ezMTpMg-EJiH8pa24dKYe-4haHjCEcGJsvvPhm0KneBkFcIcsaSxt35g-JMPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Darien Board of Education voted unanimously to accept Dr. Alan Adley’s resignation as superintendent effective June 30, 2025; to appoint Dr. Eric Berne as interim superintendent effective July 1, 2025; and to hire School Leadership LLC as the district’s superintendent search firm.

The board first moved to accept the resignation and approved it by unanimous vote. The board then appointed Dr. Eric Berne, a recently retired administrator from the Rye School District, to serve as interim superintendent for one year beginning July 1. Dr. Berne spoke briefly to the board, thanked members for the opportunity and said he looks forward to collaborating with staff, families and the board during the transition period.

The board also approved the appointment of School Leadership LLC as the search firm to lead the superintendent recruitment. Earlier in the meeting the board had amended the agenda to add the appointment of a superintendent search firm as a late item; that amendment passed unanimously.

All three motions recorded on the minutes were approved unanimously; the motions and vote information are included in the actions array. The board discussed next steps for the search and said community engagement about the search process will follow; staff said more details will be provided in coming weeks.","The Darien Board accepted Dr. Alan Adley’s resignation effective June 30, appointed Dr. Eric Berne as interim superintendent effective July 1 and unanimously approved School Leadership LLC to conduct the superintendent search.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6569772,"Darien review finds elementary special‑education classifications up; board asks MTSS follow‑up",882,2688000,3570000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3291200-adcf5426b007f6574fac425e243fba39&start=2688&end=3570","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3291200-adcf5426b007f6574fac425e243fba39/thumbnail_2688000.jpg","/articles/6569772/Connecticut/Darien-review-finds-elementary-specialeducation-classifications-up-board-asks-MTSS-followup","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6569772-a7d34c57a56e7e45d71dcb6e858bb070/orig.mp4?Expires=1771065264&Signature=Z~JMbeaV2LBQhkafQ0xFm20jL-1LWuhSBwAuB06ABzAbIWFdDOrbfakOx9fxY9JR-4kTlEmM3JSnscGcGNvt--XJBcbhyiLm9ujI5m4iLJSJGdalNFFhv~kiwy7aWwNHTT8QJxGFl3zFfqy0g9a4r-n28NpUwojhTduJvqLABulMhFUxmgNMg6dwpsU4z9-~wySzquUSpCsfMAijDcPLhEYxLuST2MdKkJbenlnkZPehwkbh6ihZsdHVcysiWCuTlduZvrZ1xnwzSn-v9r91yjLKRMWUw4UFpNW8jU7~UuQpkouxnDU7w0Ab7s6DBZuhYdGkqAAOBc2Zt4~fgV6HIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District staff presented a special‑education self‑study showing an increase in elementary special‑education identification rates and proposed next steps to strengthen pre‑referral interventions and data systems.

What the study found: Staff reported Darien’s K–5 identification rate rose from 13.83% to 17.73% over five years (285 to 376 students in K–5), with the largest increases concentrated in second grade and across a single cohort that entered kindergarten during the COVID years. For the current year, the district recorded 102 referrals to special education; 50 had been found eligible as of the presentation and 19 evaluations remained in progress. Of the students referred who had engaged SRBI (school response to intervention) prior to referral, 9 had been in Tier 1, 24 in Tier 2 and 16 in Tier 3 prior to referral.

Other notable findings presented:
- Approximately 80% of the increase reflected specific learning disability and other health impairment (including ADHD).
- Chronic absenteeism among K–5 students rose significantly after 2019–20; staff highlighted the potential instructional impact of students missing 10% or more of the school year and asked the board to consider chronic absenteeism when planning interventions.
- Local comparisons across the regional DERG showed Darien’s identification rate is among the highest, but all districts increased; staff described Wilton’s summer SRBI program as an example worth studying further.

Staff recommendations and board directions: Presenters recommended district actions including calibration of eligibility determinations across buildings, deeper building‑level case study reviews, alignment of MTSS and special‑education teams, clearer timelines for tier entrance/exit and improved ongoing data collection so trends can be monitored. The board requested follow‑up information and next steps:
- Staff to provide the Connecticut state report card per‑pupil and special‑education expenditure data for DERG comparisons (requested by board member Greg).
- Staff to report chronic absenteeism data at the secondary level as a comparison to the elementary trend.
- The board requested an update on MTSS and related indicators early in the 2025‑26 school year (first quarter/November timeframe) and quarterly thereafter.

Board members pressed for specific timelines and asked how the district will measure intervention effectiveness and the “return” from intensive short‑term interventions versus slower, long‑term approaches. Staff said that the next step is building‑level analysis and working with MTSS teams to set clear entrance/exit timelines, measurement points and professional learning supporting fidelity. The board did not vote on policy changes at the meeting but directed staff to return with the requested data and an implementation/reporting plan.","A district self‑study presented to the Darien Board found K–5 classification rates increased over five years, especially in second grade; staff recommended MTSS calibration, eligibility‑decision review and improved data collection; the board requested quarterly follow‑up and state report‑card and absenteeism data.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6569775,"Darien Board adopts HMH Into Reading v3 as primary K–3 literacy resource",1410,1000000,2410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3291200-adcf5426b007f6574fac425e243fba39&start=1000&end=2410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3291200-adcf5426b007f6574fac425e243fba39/thumbnail_1000000.jpg","/articles/6569775/Connecticut/Darien-Board-adopts-HMH-Into-Reading-v3-as-primary-K3-literacy-resource","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6569775-68cf00fb62f609df4dc4a17f22236de5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771065264&Signature=iY9S5ozseCO0Gh3CuYKIutNfXIeIo9S0r1DHSszaBhFE1JzmUbWI5MNzAs2h4PtiQc5R4mk6d3Qzqucc-SuEQWAAp0v75N0SkAsIwj1tjlnRGxMzNWXKhN6SqSx3r82KSy8hQbzTYinl2OVZhxc46mviKw-4Jv-cyH5ElQTs89CnCg9gCTa-xLM-39cwcU~DKK~yMHxyv0tyyxcVZnlnbwUDBB~CGcE4tWvwyVfyvpfOy6F134-bVhVU9CJYPI8nax0OjwXT9Sh9UUszBzw6ZkCsxZGHDJiQyLhMqa~Ms915iWTAfb1IFaDObc48gbwaejQ~~Sp-eupCArqXMoNmLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Darien Board of Education unanimously voted to adopt HMH Into Reading version 3 as the district’s primary K–3 literacy resource for the 2025–26 school year, after a two‑year review, teacher pilots and consultation with the Connecticut State Department of Education.

District staff told the board the recommendation followed districtwide surveys, classroom observations, focus groups with pilot teachers, and a 12‑teacher core review team representing all elementary schools. The steering committee said the adoption is intended to strengthen Tier 1 instruction, support alignment with Connecticut’s K–3 right‑to‑read expectations and provide a coherent instructional framework that the district can scaffold with curriculum guides and professional learning.

Why it matters: Board and staff presenters tied the decision to a state waiver process and to the district’s goal of improving early literacy outcomes. Staff emphasized the adoption is not a “set‑and‑forget” switch to a boxed program; it is the primary resource that will be implemented alongside curriculum guides, assessments and sustained professional learning so instruction is consistent across classrooms.

Key implementation points presented to the board included:
- The district recommends HMH Into Reading v3 as the core K–3 resource and plans full implementation in the 2025–26 school year. Staff said version 3 addresses teacher feedback from the pilot and consolidates structured literacy across grades K–3.
- The district will continue to use Heggerty for a 5–7 minute phonemic awareness routine in kindergarten and grade 1 as an additional “second dose,” not merely as a supplement.
- The district will maintain AIMSweb as the universal screener required by state K–3 legislation and will review the broader battery of assessments to match instruction and interventions.
- Professional learning and coaching were emphasized as essential: pilot teachers will support colleagues, and the district plans summer and in‑year professional learning tied to the instructional framework and MTSS processes.

Board discussion and context: Members of the curriculum committee and teachers who piloted the program described a consensus‑based review that weighed state‑approved materials, teacher capacity, change management and the sustainability of implementation. Board members asked about costs, timelines for professional learning and how implementation will align with intervention (MTSS) and with curriculum work in grades 4–12.

The board recorded a formal motion to adopt the resource. The motion language, mover/second and outcome are included in the actions block below. Staff committed to return with a proposed professional learning calendar and implementation timeline for the board’s next meeting and to coordinate that work with MTSS and curriculum revisions for upper elementary grades.

The board adopted the resource by unanimous vote; no amendments to the motion were recorded.","After a two‑year district review and pilot, the Darien Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt HMH Into Reading version 3 as the district’s primary kindergarten–third grade literacy resource beginning in the 2025–26 school year and to retain Heggerty for a short phonemic‑awareness routine in K–1.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves Henley assistant‑principal appointments and accepts baby‑grand piano donation to DHS

Board accepts superintendent resignation, appoints interim and hires search firm

Darien review finds elementary special‑education classifications up; board asks MTSS follow‑up

Darien Board adopts HMH Into Reading v3 as primary K–3 literacy resource