The Norwalk Public Schools Board and School Governance Council held their annual workshop meeting on May 6, 2025, focusing on collaboration, campus upgrades, and student engagement. The meeting aimed to address challenges faced by schools while celebrating recent successes.

The discussion began with an emphasis on the importance of collaboration among staff and the need for advocacy regarding facilities. Participants were encouraged to share challenges, leading to a conversation about decreased PSAT and SAT scores at Norwalk High School, alongside high chronic absenteeism rates. Despite these challenges, there were notable successes, including significant increases in literacy scores and improved student connections, which contributed to a decrease in absenteeism.

Larry, a participant, highlighted the positive trajectory of PSAT and SAT scores, indicating that the efforts made by the staff were beginning to yield results. The conversation also touched on the Panorama survey results, which revealed that while 55% of students felt positively connected, an additional 32% reported feeling "somewhat connected." This nuance in the data was recognized as a potential area for growth, even if it did not reflect a fully positive score.

Diane Filardo pointed out the importance of analyzing the Panorama survey data year over year, noting that while there were improvements, there remained a need to address the growth mindset among teachers. A meeting was scheduled to discuss this further, as the team aimed to understand the survey questions better and how they were perceived by both students and parents.

Overall, the meeting underscored the ongoing efforts to enhance student engagement and academic performance while acknowledging the challenges that remain. The board expressed a commitment to maintaining momentum in their initiatives and continuing to analyze data to inform future strategies.