EHGAZETTE

Four East Hartford High School teachers and two East Hartford residents who are teachers took part in the Connecticut Business & Industry Association's summer institute.

East Hartford High School teachers Laurie Abo of East Hartford, Stacy Leone of Manchester, Fred Carofano of Wallingford and Roy Jordan; and Bulkeley High School teacher Wendy Jackwin of East Hartford and Bloomfield High School teacher Maryann LaCava of East Hartford participated in the week-long program to learn new techniques for teaching AP classes. They were among nearly 60 high school teachers and guidance counselors from across the state enrolled in the week-long summer institute geared to helping them improve their skills and learn new techniques for teaching Advanced Placement (AP) classes.

The summer institute was sponsored by Project Opening Doors, an initiative of CBIA's Education Foundation and the CT Dept. of Education. Its goal is to improve math and science education in Connecticut to better prepare students for success in the workplace and post-secondary education, and help close what CBIA called "the state's achievement gap."

With funding from a National Math and Science Initiative grant, Project Opening Doors has helped increase the number of non-traditional students taking AP classes in math, science, and English in Connecticut by nearly 500 students in 9 schools during its first year of operation - and plans to expand to include 12 more high schools.

Teachers received content-specific training in several subjects including calculus, biology, and English literature, and were taught techniques for "differentiating instruction" based on student learning styles and needs. The training also emphasized approaches to working with what CBIA termed "historically-underrepresented" groups within the Latino and African American populations.

Guidance counselors worked with representatives from the National Office of School Counselors Advocacy, focusing on outreach efforts with minority populations.
and developing advocacy skills to support student efforts in AP courses.

"There is a real need for investment in teacher preparation and professional development programs in Connecticut," said Cam Vautour, president of CBIA's Project Opening Doors. "By providing advanced training to teachers, we are able to improve student achievement and better prepare these students for the future."

Project Opening Doors began last year with 9 schools - Ansonia High, Bulkeley High, Coventry High; East Hartford High; New Britain High; New London High; Putnam High; Westhill High (Stamford), and Wilby High (Waterbury). An additional 12 schools are expected to join the CBIA-sponsored program this fall.