District says Twilight alternative program and career‑pathway partnerships boosted graduation and engagement

District staff told the board at the Sept. retreat that the Twilight alternative program and new career‑pathway partnerships contributed to higher graduation rates and improved engagement for students who needed non‑traditional schooling options.

Cabinet members said the Twilight program graduated 38 students in the last academic year (11 in January, 27 in June and August) and that program design changes had moved some students into daytime cohorts with project‑based learning in a 10:00–14:00 shift. The district now operates AM and PM cohorts and has relocated the program to the Second Floor at 46 Concord, where administrators said the family center and additional services may be co‑located.

Workforce and pathway leaders described an expanded partnership with CT State Norwalk: last year 128 students took college or certification courses (up from 54 two years earlier). Courses included Google IT support, Microsoft Office, paraeducator certifications, phlebotomy, and other certificate‑level offerings. The district also described Saturday construction pathway sessions and interest in bringing HVAC coursework to students, noting commercial vendor costs for hands‑on training remain high (district staff said vendor‑provided course options were roughly $5,000 per student per semester and are cost‑prohibitive without external funding).

The cabinet reported expanded family‑center programming and higher attendance for parent workshops after offering classes tied to family needs (English classes, Spanish classes and workforce development workshops), and the family center opened a health and wellness center in January. The district plans to move family‑center functions and the health center to Concord in coordination with other city planning.