BETHEL — At last week’s SAD 44 School Board meeting, directors heard presentations on the Telstar/CMCC dual enrollment program, the reporting requirements of Title IX, and the work of the Drop-Out Prevention Committee.

“I know that this was really a step in the right direction, and I hope that other students get this op­portunity in the future,” said 2015 Telstar graduate Maverik Griffin, who was one of 11 seniors participating in the THS/CMCC dual enrollment program.

Griffin, who said that before entering the program he was a­ middle-of-the-pack student, earning Bs and Cs, told the School Board, “going into my senior year, I knew I had to save myself, because I had a pretty good idea I was going to catch the­senioritis pretty bad.”

Instead, he earned 15 college credits each semester. He plans to finish his degree in business management and hopes someday to own his own business.

“It helped me grow as a person, socially and academically. Its great to go there and interact with all the other students,” he said. “It’s more than the classroom experience; it’s the people you meet. It’s a great experience.”

In addition to attending CMCC, Griffin was a three-season athlete at Telstar High School during his senior year. He said he managed his time and never felt overwhelmed by the demands of the program.

Sequiera Lavender said the opportunity to take a criminal justice class at CMCC helped her decide to major in criminal justice and investigative services when she enrolls at the University of New Haven in the fall.

“What I took from the program was learning a lot of responsibilities and being able to learn how to manage my time and be able to go into a college campus and see how it’s going to be for me when I go on to my four-year college,” she said.

“I think this program is really good for students who want to get ahead their senior year, and don’t want to slack off.”

Telstar Dean of Students Cheryl Lang said the 11 students in this year’s program were enrolled in 12-to-15 credits each semester.

Lang’s data showed that several students failed one class this year, an issue she said will be addressed next year by requiring all students in the program to take CMCC’s First Year Seminar, which is designed to acquaint new students with campus resources, advising programs, and other support services.

All of the students plan to continue their education next year. Five will continue their enrollment at CMCC and six will be attending other colleges, including UMaine, UMaine-Farmington, and the University of New Haven.

The college credits they earned as high school seniors, which were paid for by Project Opportunity, Sunday River, and SAD 44, will save them each a full year of college costs.

Superintendent David Murphy said 10 students are enrolled in the program for the 2015-16 school year. As funding from Project Opportunity is phased out, he said it will be replaced by support from the Gear Up grant to ensure that the program continues.

Title IX

“When we usually think of Title IX, we think more about it in relation to colleges, and making sure that there is equal opportunity for sports,” said Affirmative Action and Title IX Coordinator Jolene Littlehale.

But Title IX “not only governs things like access and activities, but it also provides protection against sexual harassment and sexual violence,” she said.

Sexual harassment is defined as conduct of a sexual nature that is unwelcome to the recipient and has the effect of denying or limiting the ability of the victim of the harassment to receive the benefits of their educational experience.

This includes all students at any institution receiving federal funds, elementary through high school, male, female, gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.

The most important thing for board members and district employees to understand, Littlehale said, is that Title IX applies “whether the school knows or should know about the harassment.” 

This could include, for example, knowledge gained through social media of an event that took place in a school locker room, or even off of school property, if it limits a student’s ability to benefit from their education.

“For example, if that student is uncomfortable and doesn’t want to return to school, if it affects their access to school, we have to do an investigation,” she said.

Depending on the result, the school might be required to take action, or to turn the evidence over to law enforcement.

“The key to remember is, if you know about it, you know about it,” Littlehale said.

“You need to report it and then let the person in charge, whether it’s a building principal, the superintendent, or myself, make a decision about an investigation.”

Murphy likened the reporting requirements of Title IX to those of suspected child abuse, with district employees being mandated reporters.

School districts are responsible for ensuring that all employees have adequate training on the Title IX guidelines, and must follow specific procedures on complaints, investigations, and reporting.

Drop-Out Committee report

Telstar Principal Ann Bell said the graduation rate at Telstar has remained relatively stable, at around 82 to 85 percent, in recent years.

Reporting on the work of the Drop-Out Committee, she said, “we are trying to figure out what we can do to get that to move up.”

The high school administration has been concentrating on proficiency-based grading practices, as well as project-based learning.

“The research shows that that really motivates kids to stay in school,” Bell said.

She said the district is also implementing aspects of PBIS, or Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, which, according to the U.S. Dept. of Education’s website, “helps to improve behavioral and academic outcomes by improving school climate, preventing problem behaviors, increasing learning time, promoting positive social skills, and delivering effective behavioral interventions and supports.”

“The research says that suspensions and detentions… really don’t work, so you try to work on the positives,” she said.

Training under the TIF grant also provides teachers with tools to keep students motivated, Bell said.

The high school is also focusing on academic recovery, providing opportunities for students to make up missing credits, and on methods of early intervention for students at risk of school failure.

AFSCME contract approved

At the conclusion of last week’s meeting, the board entered into an executive session to consider labor contract negotiations with AFSCME employees.

The AFSCME contract covers the district’s transportation, maintenance, custodial, and food service workers.

Following the executive session, directors voted unanimously to approve a three-year contract that includes salary increases of 1.5 percent in the first year, 1.75 percent in the second, and two percent in the third.