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Hartford School Superintendent Gets Mid-Term Review

By JODIE MOZDZER | The Hartford Courant

January 08, 2009

Superintendent Steven J. Adamowski received a mid-year review from the board of education Wednesday night. The board of education discussed his performance in an executive session during its meeting, but made no vote on the review.

The meeting was held so board members could discuss whether Adamowski is meeting several benchmarks and priorities for the school district they outlined in September. However, it won't be clear if all of the goals are met until the end of the school year, when graduation rates and Connecticut Mastery Test scores are available.

Adamowski's annual review comes in the summer. That's when the board will determine whether he met its goals, on which his annual $20,000 performance bonus is based. Any bonus is on top of his $217,500 salary for 2009-10.

Before the executive session, the board and Adamowski discussed a status report of the goals.

Adamowski has already reached some of the targets, according to the report.

For example, a strategic operating plan has been completed. Other goals — such as designing new schools, creating governance councils for other schools and implementing the school choice program — are progressing, the report says.

But other tasks, including developing measures to improve students' English reading skills, expanding a "client satisfaction survey" and studying the merger of buildings and public works responsibilities between the school and city, have yet to begin, according to the report.

One of the main district goals is improving student achievement.

Last year, the board outlined specific test score and graduation rate improvements it wanted to see. For example, it wanted a 4 percent increase in third-graders who met proficiency levels on state reading tests. Of 13 targets, 70 percent were met in 2008.

The goals for 2009 are higher, and include having 37 percent of the students who enter high school graduate in four to five years. The 2008 graduation rate goal was 33 percent, and the district reported that 36 percent of students graduated that year. The board also wants to see 64.8 percent of fifth-graders meet proficiency levels in writing; 58.8 percent did in 2008.