District Partner Summer 2013
ERS partnered with the Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER) and three summer graduate student fellows to provide a school systems funding analysis for Waterbury Public Schools. This partnership represented a "special project"—a focused, abridged version of ERS' typical client engagements.
"I am very pleased [with this project]. It brings issues to the surface that need to be addressed."
- Dr. Kathleen M. Ouellette, Superintendent, Waterbury Public Schools
District Facts
Students: 18,152
Staff: 1,336 (just classroom teachers)
Work Focus
Summer 2013:
- School System Funding Analysis: Understand how the district is using its funds to identify opportunities to reallocate resources.
Findings and Outcomes
- Resource Analysis: The summer project team, along with support from CCER and ERS, performed a detailed analysis of WPS' funding and staffing. Their analysis revealed the following:
- Like many other large urban districts, WPS contends with high staff turnover and untracked expenditures on professional development.
- WPS has a relatively high number of special education paraprofessionals, and low amount of spending on English language learners, given need.
Next Steps
- ERS will continue to touch base with CCER to monitor progress in Waterbury Public Schools, particularly as they embark on a comprehensive PD plan specifically with the goals of:
- Improving how IEPs are written to more effectively use paraprofessionals
- Consolidating PD dollars to focus on teacher professional growth
- Tracking PD spending
- ERS will also offer advice and support to the WPS Superintendent as needed.
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