E. Haven, CT: 28% of freshmen failed at least one class last year; 47% of SPED kids in 'critical status'
EAST HAVEN — Over a quarter of East Haven High School freshmen failed at least one class last year, prompting the district to find ways to ease students’ transition to the high school level, school officials said.
Last school year, 28% of the freshman class was in “critical status,” meaning they had failed at least one class, East Haven High School Principal Vincent DeNuzzo told the Board of Education. In comparison, 16% of the senior class was in this category and 19% of the juniors. . . .
In a survey over the summer of the current 10th graders, students say they struggled with transitioning to the length of high school classes, the larger environment, how they are expected to do manage their coursework independently and more, DeNuzzo said. . . .
But something that DeNuzzo said “was even more striking and concerning” was that 47% of the special education students in last year’s freshman class were in the “critical status.”
These students “require intentional support during transitions,” he said.
The school is addressing this by giving educators a chance to use “dedicated co-planning blocks,” where general education and special education teachers can work together. For example, they can use the time to modify and design curriculum and assessments for special education students to make sure their needs are met in their Individualized Education Programs. . . .
For the ninth grade class as a whole, Assistant Principal Maria Pompano said teachers are now using a platform called Panorama Education. This system helps identify ninth graders who may need extra support by combining students’ academic records, attendance, behavior logs and more in one dashboard.
By doing this, the teachers created “watch groups,” where they can take time to “check in on their watch groups, look at their students, see how they’re doing” and get them extra help if they’re struggling, Pompano said. . . .
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