4A

REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

L W

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

WAIVER: Malloy says state tests tough DEATHS: Autopsy

Continued from Page One that all students will score proficient. Nearly half of Connecticut schools didnt meet the mark in 2011. So when President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced that states could apply for waivers, Connecticut officials were paying attention. NCLB will be requiring us to be intervening in every school district and every school in another couple years, said Allan Taylor, chairman of the Connecticut Board of Education. That just doesnt make any sense. That just isnt going to work. We all know it isnt going to work. The federal waiver comes with strings a set of reforms that federal officials want states to adopt as a condition. Taylor said Connecticut has already adopted some. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy confirmed Friday that Connecticut will pursue a waiver. He anticipated that Connecticuts version of reform under the waiver will take into account the difficulty of its standardized tests, which he believes are among the toughest in the nation. I anticipate that we would be looking at a waiver that speaks to what is obviously a higher standard already being applied in Connecticut by our state system, Malloy said. The federal waiver would allow individual states to devel-

TODAYS POLL
VOTE AT WWW.REP-AM.COM

Is it unrealistic to expect 90 percent of students to reach "proficient" standards under No Child Left Behind?
FIND RESULTS OF YESTERDAYS QUESTION ON PAGE 2A.

op their own improvement targets and measures, under parameters acceptable to federal education officials. The waivers will come with some reform strings. States must adopt college and work-ready standards for all students, and test students to see if theyre meeting these targets. Comprehensive turnabout efforts will be expected in the lowest 5 percent of state schools. The 10 percent of schools just above the bottom 5 percent will be required to develop special assistance for struggling students. Additionally, states will be expected to develop teacher and administrator evaluations based, in part, on student performance. In Connecticut, the announcement received a warm welcome from many quarters, though not all. In Waterbury where 21 of 28 schools missed the 2011 testing targets school officials appreciated the focus on individual student growth, rather than one-size-fits-all targets. Its a theme that

School Superintendent David L. Snead has stressed for the past several years as Waterbury has seen increasing numbers of its schools miss targets. Im very, very, pleased that President Obama and Secretary Duncan are getting it, Snead said. I think it will be a shot in the arm and welcomed by most in Waterbury. Assistant School Superintendent Paul V. Sequeira noted that Waterburys youngest students frequently enter school with vocabulary and other academic skills far below their suburban peers. Sequeira is also glad that, at first glance, the waivers seem to keep some of what is valuable in NCLB a focus on struggling income, racial and language subgroups. Torrington education officials expressed similar sentiments. It was the only Litchfield County school system to see all of its schools fail testing targets in 2011, despite significant gains by students in various subjects and grades. Assistant Torrington School Superintendent Susan C. Domanico said the waivers could fix a significant flaw in the current system an assumption that students should all learn at the same pace. To assume a logic of linear improvement just doesnt give the schools the flexibility they need to take the risks to make improvements, Domanico said. The current law discourages innovation that would risk

a lesson plan not working in a single year, she said. Under the current system, its a risk schools cant afford. Torrington administrators have long held that the demand of 100 percent proficiency by 2014 is unrealistic. The district has been analyzing test score data with an eye on growth, identifying the classrooms where students make the most progress and attempting to replicate that success. William J. Joslyn, a former Torrington principal and now director of student and professional services, said the current law can label as failing a school that helped students achieve dramatic growth. Its so frustrating, Joslyn said. Im glad theyre looking at that. The federal proposal has some detractors, however. Joseph Cirasuolo, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, said Connecticut should be angling for a blanket freeze in the testing targets, instead of accepting a swath of dubious initiatives. The stuff they are proposing doesnt have much research behind it, Cirasuolo said. Why should we sign up for a bunch of things that may or may not work when what we really need is regulatory relief? Staff writers Jim Moore and Paul Hughes contributed to this report. Visit www.rep-am.com to comment on this story.

expected today
Continued from Page One er Sgt. Michael ODonnell and town officers responded to the residence on a winding private road off Berkshire Road. Troopers saw what appeared to be an injured person inside the home, so they forced entry and found two deceased people inside, Vance said. Southbury EMS also responded and pronounced the man and woman dead at the scene, he said. Vance said a post mortem examination will be conducted by the Office of the Chief States Medical Examiner to determine the manner and cause of death. He expects that the autopsy will be performed today. State police were not saying if any weapons were found on site, or the circumstances leading to the deaths. Members of the State Police Western District Major Crime Squad responded to investigate, Vance said. A silver state police cruiser blocked off the road leading to Detlefsens ranch-style house. Three police vehicles were parked at the bottom of the winding road as authorities investigated. They remained on scene later Friday. The spurts of driving rain made puddles of the narrow, bumpy road. According to the assessors office, the Detlefsens have owned the property since 1987. The tax bill on the property was $2,937.36, which was paid in full, according to the tax collectors office. Becky Gagne, 64, who lives at 9 Chain Trail with her husband Roland, 66, said Sharon and

Congress split on Obamas waiver plan

ASSOCIATED PRESS

David Detlefsen, described as in their 60s, lived in the neighborhood before them, and introduced themselves when the Gagnes moved here 22 years ago. Sharon was a very reliable and hard worker, she said. She worked as a waitress at Yvonnes Breakfast and Lunch on Route 67 in Southford. David was retired, and kept more to himself, the couple said. Becky Gagne said she would say Hi to Sharon as they passed by as neighbors, and would talk about their grandchildren. Im going to miss her, Becky Gagne said. I really am. I cant conceive of her not being here. She said Sharon Detlefsen never mentioned any problems. She last saw her two-and-a-half days ago. The owner of Yvonnes Breakfast and Lunch declined to comment but confirmed that Sharon Detlefsen worked there. This incident happened in the same neighborhood where a local man was murdered in March 2010. Michael Weaving, a 24-yearold Southbury man, was found dead near a derelict house in the woods off Berkshire Road after a night of partying. Weavings body was unearthed from a shallow grave on the banks of the Pomperaug River near a campsite just south of the house. David Eisenbach, 25, of Southbury and a former friend of Weavings, pleaded guilty in May to murdering Weaving, and was sentenced in July to 34 years in prison for the killing. Visit www.rep-am.com comment on this story.

to

WASHINGTON Nearly everyone agrees the fix needs fixing. The No Child Left Behind law that was supposed to improve American education has left schools grumbling at being labeled failures, state officials fuming and complaints everywhere about required testing. But President Barack Obamas response on Friday hes allowing states to opt out is starting a new round of heated arguments. There are questions about whether letting states bypass unpopular proficiency standards will help the nations schoolchildren. And, even as states clamor to use the new waiver option, some lawmakers say Obama is inserting politics in what had been a bipartisan approach to education. At the White House, the president said he was acting only because Congress wouldnt. He decried the state of U.S. education and called the No Child law a signature legacy of President George W. Bushs presidency an admirable but flawed effort that ended up hurting students instead of helping them. Obamas announcement could fundamentally affect the education of tens of millions of children. It will allow states to scrap a key requirement that all children show they are pro-

ASSOCIATED PRESS

President Barack Obama gestures toward sixth-grade student Keiry Herrera of Graham Road Elementary School in Fairfax, Va., as he speaks about No Child Left Behind Reform on Friday in the East Room of the White House in Washington. ficient in reading and math by 2014 if those states meet conditions such as imposing their own standards to prepare students for college and careers and setting evaluation standards for teachers and principals. The impact on school kids could vary greatly depending on how states choose to reward or punish individual schools. Under No Child Left Behind, children who attend schools deemed failures after a set period of time are eligible for extra tutoring and school choice. A majority of states are expected to apply for waivers, which would be given to those that qualify early next year. Officials from Kentucky, Idaho, Wisconsin and Colorado were among those expressing support for the presidents plan on Friday. I look forward to the federal government narrowing its role in education and allowing Tennessee the flexibility to abide by its own rigorous standards, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican, said at the White House event. But Rep. John Kline, RMinn., who chairs the House Education Committee, wrote in an editorial Friday published in The Washington Examiner that the plan could mean less transparency, new federal regulations and greater uncertainty for students, teachers, and state and local officials.

STEVEN VALENTI REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

E.C. Goodwin Technical High School Principal Mary Moran and carpentry teacher Mike Cyr explain how a new E-House will help student learn.

GREEN: Tech schools building E-Houses

Continued from Page One want the green technology. W.F. Kaynor Technical High School in Waterbury is starting to receive materials and should start construction within the next two months, Mencio said. The schools principal, Lisa Hylwa, said she was pleased students will learn to design and build using solar energy. Im a big proponent of solar and trying to get away from oil, Hylwa said. The house will also be used as a tool for future students who can monitor the energy efficiency of the materials and even uninstall and reinstall some components. Different types of wall insulation and part of the heated floor are covered only with Plexiglas so students can test and observe them. The grants will fund upgrades to the houses as technology improves, said Pat Ciarlegio, an administrative intern under Mencio. As the demand for energy-efficient homes increases, students trained in green construction will be better able to find work, said Mike Cyr, a carpentry teacher at Goodwin. Energy efficiency has been incorporated into the curriculum at the technical high schools over the past two years, but the E-Houses give students handson experience, Cyr said. Everything we learn is a marketable skill for the kids, Cyr said. Students new skills might even benefit the school, which typically sends students to do small jobs for local homeowners as part of their training, said Mary Moran, the principal at Goodwin. The school gets a portion of the labor fees. Its something new that we can advertise, so I think it might bring in some customers that might not ordinarily consider working with the school, Moran said. Mencio said he hopes the first nine E-Houses will prove so successful that more money will come in to fund their construction in all the technical high schools. Paul Jarvis, a 17-year-old senior at Goodwin who lives in Bristol, said he was happy with the opportunity to work on the house. I think its great that high school students got to build a project at this scale, Jarvis said. Its really gratifying to know what we did. Visit www.rep-am.com to comment on this story.

TOWNS: Governor doesnt share details of aid

Continued from Page One Malloys approach raised a few eyebrows among key Republican legislators, but the governor insisted afterward that economic development potential and not partisan politics would largely determine which community projects receive grants from STEAP, the Small Town Economic Assistance Program. I dont believe those types of grants, which are competitive, should be done that type of way, the governor said, adding that given STEAP grant eligibility rules, and the significant number of small Connecticut towns with GOP representation, a bipartisan award list was likely. I cant imagine that grants wouldnt be made to communities with Republican leadership, he said. The General Assembly created STEAP in 2001 to complement the Urban Act Program, which provides large sums of annual state bonding to assist economic development initiatives in Connecticut cities. STEAP grants initially were restricted only to communities with populations under 30,000 when the program was enacted in 2001, and that still remains largely the case. But the program was amended in 2005 to include six towns larger in population than that limit, yet still ineligible for Urban Act awards. Both programs give the governors office tremendous discretion to assign state funding to projects that meet program criteria. Malloy said that projects that promote job productivity, growth or retention would be his top priority, though not his only one. Malloy also said he would differ from his predecessors, who typically capped the amount any community could receive to ensure a larger number of grants could be awarded. I dont believe any artificially low grant amount is conducive to that goal of growing jobs, he said. And why did his administration not disclose the grant recipients before seeking $20 million from the bond commission on Friday? Malloy said application review is in process but not complete. His budget director, Office of Policy and Management Secretary Benjamin Barnes said that awards would be made later this fall, possibly in two stages to prevent projects ready to begin soon from having to wait for those still under review. Both Republicans on the bond commission, Sen. Andrew W. Roraback of Goshen and Sean J. Williams of Watertown, voted to release the $20 million in bonding for STEAP, as did all eight Democrats on the panel. Roraback said afterward that as long as all of the projects are judged on their merits, Im sure the awards will be bipartisan. House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero, R-Norwalk, said that while the governors focus on job creation is understandable, its important that the administration remembers STEAP grants also were designed to support key public works, health and safety projects as well. Were all very concerned about developing the economy, he said, adding that many town applications in Republican representatives districts were tied to wastewater treatment and road and bridge upgrades. But clean water, safe roads and safe bridges, that has to be a main thrust. Cafero added that Malloys approach in seeking the funds came as a surprise to me, the way he just lump-summed it without showing how he planned to use the money. Its never been done that way before. But M. Jodi Rell and John G. Rowland, Malloys two GOP predecessors, had a political need to share that information to obtain approval. Specifically, the 10-member bond commission which must give final approval before financing can be secured for major capital programs was evenly split between the two major parties during the first 10 years of the STEAP programs history. The governor chairs the panel and effectively controls two other seats, which are assigned to the administrations budget director and top public works official. From 2001 through 2011, those seats belonged to Rell or Rowland and to two of their respective top appointees. But three other commission seats are awarded to the state treasurer, attorney general and comptroller constitutional offices that have been in Democratic hands throughout the STEAP programs history. And with the last four spots divided evenly between the two parties granted to the top leaders from the legislatures Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, Rowland and Rell needed Democratic cooperation to move any funding through a partisan-balanced bond commission. But with Malloy now holding the governors office, and Democrats still in control of the other constitutional office seats on the bond commission, the party holds eight out of 10 seats. This story originally appeared at CTMirror.org, the website of The Connecticut Mirror, an independent, nonprofit news organization covering government, politics and public policy.

WEB UPDATES ALL DAY LONG

Keep up with news as it happens throughout the day at www.rep-am.com.