Best Place to Live, Blue Ribbon School: A Week in the Life of Cheshire, CT

It’s been a good week for Cheshire.

On Thursday, Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona congratulated four public schools in Connecticut on being named 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. The award is given to select schools across the nation annually for demonstrating overall high achievement or success in closing achievement gaps.

The four schools are: George Hersey Robertson in Coventry; South Street School in Danbury; Northeast School in Vernon. And Norton School in Cheshire. Nationally, there were 367 schools recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2020

A day earlier, it was announced that South Windsor and Cheshire are among the “Best Places to Live in the U.S.,” according to Money’s 2020 list, just released this week.  Cheshire, ranked number 28, “has plenty to offer,” according to Money. Highlighted were the low crime rate, affordable home prices, the annual Strawberry Festival, and a handful of distinctive local businesses/tourist attractions. 

South Windsor, the only other Connecticut community earning a place on the list, ranked at number 12. A maximum of two towns per state were included, according to Money.  Money’s analysis included towns with populations of at least 25,000 and considered job opportunities, supply and demand for homes, cost of living, quality of schools, racial and economic diversity and health and safety.

Money selected 50 towns and cities where the economy, job growth, and housing market remained strong despite COVID-19 disruptions. Priorities were shifted to pay more attention to locations that aren't just doing well now, but that also show great promise and stability for the next five to ten years, Cheshire officials pointed out.

Cheshire is located 21 miles from Hartford; 15 miles from New Haven, with a population just over 29,000. Leading employers include Bozzuto’s, the town of Cheshire, the State of Connecticut (correctional facilities), Macy’s and Collins Aerospace, according to the town’s Economic Development Coordinator.   

Of the Blue Ribbon designation for Norton School, Gov. Lamont said “Connecticut’s public school teachers are the best in the United States, and the tools they are providing our youngest residents are enabling them to achieve success throughout their careers. Every child – no matter their family’s income or the neighborhood where they live – deserves access to a quality education that prepares them for achievement.”

The Connecticut State Department of Education uses data from the Next Generation Accountability System to nominate schools for the National Blue Ribbon School award. Nominated schools must complete an application process and be approved by the U.S. Department of Education. All selected schools in Connecticut were Schools of Distinction for at least two of the last four years. National Blue Ribbon Schools are identified in two categories: Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing and Exemplary High Performing.

Norton School, a K-6 school with an enrollment of 415 students, has exceeded its school performance index targets for all students in English Language Arts and mathematics consistently for the last three administrations of Smarter Balanced testing. Simultaneously, academic growth measures in both subjects have improved every year.

Norton School educators use the gradual release of responsibility framework to design their instruction, according to school officials. The instructional routine that teachers use has three steps: (1) begin a lesson by modeling, (2) transition to students practicing together, and (3) students work individually. This approach requires students to be active participants in the learning process and moves them toward increasingly greater levels of independence.

The approach works well in all subject areas and is balanced in mathematics courses with opportunities for students to engage in productive struggle. Students are consistently challenged but are provided with layers of academic and social-emotional support. Through a comprehensive school counseling program led by the school counselor, students are encouraged to self-advocate for support when it is needed. Collectively, these efforts create a culture supporting student agency and conditions empowering Norton students to be leaders of their own learning, officials explained.

The 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools Awards Ceremony will be held virtually Nov. 12 and 13.