Hanover Research outlines year of work with Bridgeport; committee votes to send full report to board

Hanover Research staff presented a summary of research projects they completed for Bridgeport during the partnership's first year and recommended next steps; the committee voted to refer the full materials to the full board.

Julie Shenafield (Hanover relationship director) and Dr. Matt Rigone (Hanover senior director, K–12 research) described eight completed projects, including a toolkit on special‑education identification, a review of school‑counseling best practices, site climate observations and a teacher‑compensation benchmarking report. Hanover recommended continued program evaluation research, more in‑depth special‑education data analysis, annual climate surveys and capstone reports that summarize outcomes for the public.

Why it matters: Committee members and the interim superintendent said the research has been used to inform central‑office decisions (for example, salary benchmarking and special‑education planning). Committee members asked for copies of full reports and for the board to review the materials alongside any renewal decisions for the partnership.

Committee action The Instructional Support Services Committee voted to refer Hanover’s presentation and the research deliverables to the full Board of Education for review prior to further action on renewing the contract.

Quote Dr. Matt Rigone, Hanover: “Research can only do, it’s only with this research, the district can be assured that the resources allocated to meet these priorities are being used effectively.”

Next steps Committee members requested that the district distribute the eight project reports to the full board and that staff place the Hanover presentation on the full board agenda. The committee also signaled interest in discussing contract renewal after board members have reviewed the materials.