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Superintendent: NEASC praised district supports but flagged need for consistent written curriculum
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Willet told the Tolland Board that the New England Association of Schools and Colleges commended the district’s social‑emotional learning and teacher collaboration but identified a consistent, written curriculum as a priority area; NEASC will return March 6–11, 2026 for a full review.
Superintendent Dr. Willet told the Tolland Board of Education that an interim review by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) commended the district’s social‑emotional learning, teacher mentoring and curriculum work but identified a consistent written curriculum as a priority area for growth.
The NEASC review found that the high school met seven of eight foundational accreditation elements, Dr. Willet said, and praised initiatives such as the district’s Portrait of a Graduate, teacher peer observations and a teacher mentoring program. "They felt we had great social‑emotional learning programs," he said, adding that NEASC recognized the schools for embedding the portrait of a graduate into curriculum and rubrics.
Why it matters: NEASC accreditation is a multi‑year process used to assess program quality and continuous improvement. The board will need to demonstrate measurable progress on curriculum documentation and implementation when the full 10‑year visit occurs in March 2026.
Dr. Willet outlined the district’s response: 26 curriculum and instruction teams are working across grade bands to produce written curriculum in a consistent format, using the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework. He described the UbD approach in three stages — planning and standards alignment (stage one), assessment alignment (stage two), and classroom implementation (stage three) — and said the district will prioritize completing stage‑one documentation for all courses.
The superintendent said the district is expanding time for curriculum teams through additional early‑release and in‑service days, and plans to strengthen its multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS) to increase intervention capacity at the high school. "We have engaged and have fully started to move forward," he said, noting these steps are intended to show NEASC progress on the curriculum priority.
Financial and reporting notes: Dr. Willet told the board that roughly 2.2% of the district budget remains unallocated and that the district will report any substantive budget‑related staff reductions to NEASC between visits. He noted two budget overages in the September financial summary — approximately $6,000 related to special education stipends and about $3,000 in health/life/disability insurance — and explained those fluctuations can occur because of vacancies and contractual obligations.
Next steps: NEASC will conduct the full decennial visit March 6–11, 2026. The board and administration will continue curriculum work, expand professional development, and provide progress reports to NEASC as required.
