East Haven School District reports summer CTE camp and K–5 literacy gains

District staff told the East Haven Board of Education that the district's CTE summer camp and K–5 literacy enrichment program have resumed and are showing early positive signs.

Assistant district staff (not named in the record) reported that 16 incoming ninth-graders completed a Career and Technical Education (CTE) summer camp for a second consecutive year. The presenters said the students worked with culinary staff, completed woodworking and manufacturing projects, participated in community-service activities and toured the building to become familiar with teachers and facilities. Several of the students are scheduled to return to assist with planting in the greenhouse ahead of a fall flower sale.

The board also heard an update on the Tuttle literacy enrichment program for kindergarten through grade 5. The presenter said staff progress-monitored 97 students. Two weeks into the program, the transcript records that "of the 97 students that were progress monitored, 2 weeks in, 40 5 have shown growth towards target." Later in the same update the presenter said, "Another 14 have stabilized" and added, "of those 45, I'm really excited to note that 23 have already met the benchmark for beginning of the year for the next grade they're going into," and that one student had moved to above placement. The presenter characterized these early results as encouraging and said the program continues for another week.

Why it matters: The CTE camp serves incoming high-school students as an introduction to applied courses; the Tuttle program is an early-intervention literacy effort intended to prevent summer learning loss and to place students on grade-level reading trajectories before the school year begins.

Ending: Board members thanked staff for the update. No formal action was required or taken on either summer program during the meeting.