New Haven presents test gains, dual-enrollment savings and targets; board approves data agreement with Connecticut RISE Network

New Haven Public Schools presented academic results and district priorities Monday as Superintendent Eva M. Negron outlined a shift from “growth” to “acceleration” and asked the board to continue aligning district work with its Path to Excellence strategic plan.

Assistant Superintendent Keisha Redhanans reviewed Smarter Balanced, SAT and English-proficiency (ACCESS/WIDA/Las Links) results, highlighting year-over-year increases in several areas but noting the district has not met all its acceleration targets for 2024–25.

Redhanans told the board that district mathematics scores increased 2.9 percentage points last year — outpacing the state’s 2.5-point gain — while English language arts rose 0.4 points compared with a 0.5-point state increase. Science rose 0.8 points as the state rose 1.2 points. Redhanans emphasized cohort and grade-level progress charts used by the district to track movement from one grade to the next.

The district also reported changes in other metrics: 11th-grade SAT participation and results varied across cohorts, with the most recent 11th-grade group at 31.8% (district figure presented by staff); chronic absenteeism fell 4.5 percentage points to 32.1% (the district’s 2029 target is 20%); and student-reported sense of belonging rose from 45% to 49% (target 85% by 2029).

District leaders highlighted college-credit programs as a near-term success: students earned 3,221 concurrent-enrollment credits last year (district cited a savings of more than $2.1 million) and 1,027 dual-enrollment credits at partner colleges (combined total 4,248 credits and an estimated savings of more than $3.1 million). Redhanans listed participating institutions and credit volumes, including 442 credits at Southern Connecticut State University and 267 credits at Yale University; concurrent enrollment totals included 1,903 credits tied to Southern and 706 credits tied to UConn. Staff said per-credit costs at partner institutions range from $192 to $1,844.

Negron said the district will continue three priorities from prior years — chronic absenteeism, literacy and culture and climate — and add “continuous improvement” as a fourth priority for year three. She described new implementation work this year: full deployment of a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), fidelity to adopted curricula, attention to instructional minutes and classroom walkthroughs, and professional learning for teachers and central office staff.

Board member Mr. Wilcox moved to approve an agreement award to Connecticut RISE Network described in agenda item 4.01 “subject to approval of either the board of alders or the corporation council,” and the board carried the motion. The approval came during the finance and operations section; the board also approved a package of three agreements, one amendment and two purchase orders in a separate vote during the same meeting.

Board members praised the use of data and the district’s improved presentations and training. Superintendent Negron and staff acknowledged that while many indicators showed progress, several accelerated-year targets set under the Path to Excellence were not met and remain priorities for the coming year.

The board also noted operational items tied to the presentation: the district is rolling out an attendance communication tool that produced erroneous absence alerts on the first days of school but, the superintendent said, was corrected; and staff said the RISE data hub will be used to create real-time dashboards for ninth-grade on-track monitoring and other strategic objectives.

The presentation was informational; the board’s formal action approved the RISE award and other finance items as described on the meeting agenda.