At the lame-duck Board of Education’s recent Workshop, lame-duck Superintendent Leslie Torres-Rodriguez presented the BOE with her take on the 2022-23 school year’s “District Scorecard,” objective measurements of academic achievement (or not), attendance, and subjective measurements of the touchy-feely type (“perceptions” of students, families, and staff on school support, safety, and connection).

However, before getting to the data, Torres-Rodriguez had to remind the board that it all comes with the caveat that HPS faces “unique” challenges (read this report on how “unique”), which is the districts high number of “high needs” students (“high needs” students are those who are economically disadvantaged, ESL students, and SPED students). 

As to the number of economically disadvantaged students, HPS (79%) ranks behind Bridgeport (81%), and is similar to Meriden (77%), Waterbury (77%), and New Britain (76%).  Not so “unique.”

As to the number of ESL students, HPS (24%) ranks behind Danbury (35%), Windham (32%), New London (29%), and Bridgeport (26%).  Not so “unique.”

As to the number of SPED (special education) students, HPS (20%) ranks behind such districts as New Britain (23%), East Hartford (22%), Bristol (21%), Windsor (21%), and Meriden (21%).  Not so “unique.” All data provided by EdSight, the state’s “official source for education data,” and represent numbers from the 2022-23 school year.

That all being said, these “unique challenges” did not stop Torres-Rodriguez from uttering the following while awaiting her promotion from Assistant Superintendent to permanent Superintendent in 2016:

“My experiences in Hartford are deeply connected to the experiences of our students and families and having that perspective allows me to really connect and understand at a very personal level what our students need to experience in our schools in order to be successful” (Hartford Courant, Dec. 1, 2016, p. B6). 

Nearly seven years later, HPS students, families, and concerned citizens are still waiting for that understanding to manifest itself in positive student outcomes.

As to the academic scores, the Superintendent chose to present data from the state’s SBAC APTA (Smarter Balanced Assessments of Average Percent of Target Achieved) scorecard.  In math, the district APTA declined from the 2021-22 school year to last school year by 3%.  The following data the Superintendent did not show but it is available at EdSight:  High needs students’ scores declined by 2%, while non-high needs students’ scores declined by 8%.  High needs students outperformed the non-high needs population.

As to the SBAC data for ELA, district wide scores declined 1%.  Again, using data not shown by HPS, high needs students (-2%) outperformed non-high needs students (-3%) on the SBAC for ELA.

As to chronic absenteeism, HPS’ rate dropped 15% last year from the year prior, which lagged the state performance (-16%) and the performance of districts under the Opportunity District label (10 lowest performing districts in CT), which saw an 18% decline.  Both high needs students and non-high needs students saw a decline of 16% in their chronic absenteeism rates.

As to the decline in academic performance, Torres-Rodriguez stated this year’s drop is happening “all across the nation” and in Connecticut, so this is something “not unique to Hartford.”  This was after preceding her data presentation with the caveat that Hartford was “unique.”  And that was preceded by her statement 7 years ago that she understood what Hartford students need to be successful.  I need another beer.

The Superintendent also stated that, like other districts (Board Member Browdy stated that Hartford needs to focus on what is happening in Hartford and not other districts), HPS is still recovering from COVID and that “we were seeing gains pre-pandemic.”  That is not a true statement.

Using EdSight data going back to the 2015-16 school year, Torres-Rodriguez’s first full school year in the district, percentages for the SBAC APTA in math and ELA declined from 2015-16 to 2018-19, the year before COVID.  Chronic absenteeism increased from the 2015-16 school year to the 2018-19 school year. 

What the Superintendent also didn’t tell the Board is that per pupil expenditures from 2017-18 (the farthest EdSight data goes back) to 2021-22 (the latest data available) has increased 22%, yet we are seeing declines across the board in academic achievement.  I believe the general consensus is that when poorer districts are better funded, they get better academic results.  Then there is Hartford Public Schools led by Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez, turning convention on its head.

Did I mention that she now lectures at Yale?