Defendants' Amended Disclosure of Expert Witnesses
Public Court Documents
May 15, 1992

2 pages
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Case Files, Sheff v. O'Neill Hardbacks. Defendants' Amended Disclosure of Expert Witnesses, 1992. d794b07d-a346-f011-8779-7c1e5267c7b6. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/a58a6e73-34a2-4f67-a159-2de0182b6a05/defendants-amended-disclosure-of-expert-witnesses. Accessed July 29, 2025.
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NO. CV-89-0360977 S MILO SHEFF, ET AL. 3 SUPERIOR COURT Plaintiffs ’ JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF Y. : HARTFORD/NEW BRITAIN : AT HARTFORD WILLIAM A, O'NEILL, ET AL. : May 15, 1892 Defendants DEFENDANTS' AMENDED DISCLOSURE OF EXPERT WITNESSES Pursuant to the order of the court establishing a schedule for disclosure of expert witnesses, employees and consultants expected to present testimony at trial, the defendants offer the following amended list and disclosure. This disclosure is provided in lieu of the defendants' disclosure dated March 15, 1992, The defendants wish to emphasize that the particular facts and opinions which will be offered by the witnesses listed below are not the only facts and opinions which the witnesses may offer at trial. The defendants expect to supplement their disclosure after the plaintiffs have fully and finally answered the defendants' first set of interrogatories and requests for production and the defendants have had an opportunity to consider and prepare whatever response may be appropriate to claims made by the plaintiffs in response to that discovery. Defendants also expect to supplement this list with additional : names ° and additional information as work now in progress and work to be undertaken after the plaintiffs fully and finally answer the defendants' interrogatories and requests for production is completed. 1. Christine Rossell, Ph.D, (Expert Witness) Boston University, 232 Bay State Road, Boston, Massachusetts 02215: Dr. Rossell 1s a Professor of Political Science at Boston University. Professor Rossell is expected to testify that the State of Connecticut is responding appropriately to the educational conditions in the Hartford area by encouraging and funding voluntary integration and compensating poor school districts for their poverty. Professor Rossell will also testify regarding the benefits of the voluntary measures which the state has undertaken versus mandatory desegregation plans. Professor Rossell will base her testimony on her scholarly research of the following at least: 1. the evolution of school desegregation; 2. national school desegregation trends; 3. measuring the effectiveness of school desegregation; 4. the relative merit of voluntary and mandatory school desegregation plans; 5. white flight as a function of desegregation; 6. the effectiveness of specific approaches to desegregation; 1i.e., freedom of choice, majority-to-minority transfer, controlled choice, magnet schools, etc.; 7. metropolitan-based desegregation plans; 8. State of Connecticut policies and programs to encourage voluntary desegregation including a comparison of those programs and policies to programs and policies in other states. At this time Dr. Rossell has not finally completed her work in this regard. Her conclusions as to this aspect of her work are preliminary. Among other things, Dr. Rossell will rely on her work entitled The Carrot or the Stick for School Desegregation Policy, Temple University Press, 1990. Dr. Rossell's resume has been provided to plaintiffs as Exhibit 19(a) of defendants' response to plaintiffs' fourth request for production. 2. David Armor, Ph.D. (Expert Witness) 5006 Klingle Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20011: Dr. Armor 1s currently Visiting Professor, Rutgers University; Consultant, American Institutes for Research; and President, National Policy Analysts. Dr. Armor is principal investigator for a grant to write a treatise on race, education and the courts; co-principal investigator on a national study of magnet schools; and an associate investigator on a project that 1s conducting case studies of school districts with school choice policies. Dr. Armor 1s expected to testify: 1. that research has demonstrated no significant and consistent effects of desegregation on Black achievement; 2. that most of the differences in performance on the CMT between Hartford and suburban pupils can be attributed to differences in family background characteristics and especially socioeconomic status; 3. that for most people personal preference, not private discrimination or governmental actions, determines where people live. Dr. Armor may also testify on other topics.. Dr. Armor will base his testimony on his scholarly analysis of the research literature in each area on which he will focus as well as his own original studies including his study of the CMT results and certain survey results. At this time Dr. Armor has not finally completed his analysis of the CMT results or the survey. His conclusion in regard to these aspects of his work are preliminary. Dr. Armor's resume has been provided to the plaintiffs as Exhibit 19(b) to defendants' response to plaintiffs' fourth request for production. 3. Dr. G. Donald Ferree (Expert Witness) Institute for Social Inquiry, Roper Center for Public Opinion, P. O. Box 440, Storrs, Connecticut: 06268: Dr. Ferree 1s the Associate Director of the Institute for Social Inquiry, University of Connecticut. Dr. Ferree's resume has been provided as Exhibit 19(d) to defendants' response to plaintiffs’ fourth request for production. Dr. Ferree is expected to testify regarding proper methods and procedures for conducting a public opinion poll to ascertain the attitudes of Connecticut residents and/or groups of Connecticut residents. He is expected to present and explain the results of a survey conducted by the Institute for Social Inquiry at the request of the Governor's Commission on Quality and Integrated Education. The results to that survey are summarized in the attachment to Exhibit 6 in support of the defendants’ motion for summary judgment. 4, Dr. Pasquale Forgione (former DOE Consultant) c/o State Department of Education, 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut 06106: Dr. Forgione is not expected to offer opinion testimony as an expert witness. Instead he will provide testimony regarding the development, implementation and analysis of the CMT and CMT results. The specific analysis of CMT results which will be described by this witness have been provided to the plaintiffs in Exhibit 16(f) of defendants' response to plaintiffs' first request for production, Exhibit 18(d) of defendants' response to plaintiffs' second request for production, and Exhibit 10(c) of defendants' response to plaintiffs' third request for production. Dr. Forgione is also expected to note questions which have been raised regarding the effectiveness of the CMT in measuring the performance of students with limited English proficiency and how this problem might influence the overall CMT test results for a school district with high concentrations of LEP students. Dr. Forgione is also expected to note the variety of viewpoints in the education profession about the use and misuse of test results like the CMT results. He will also discuss the variety of viewpoints 1in the education profession regarding the use of testing as a measure of the quality of education being provided to children. The various viewpoints which Dr. Forgione will note will not necessarily be his own. 5. Dr. Douglas Rindone. (DOE Consultant) o¢/o State Department of Education, 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut 06106: Dr. Rindone is not expected to offer opinion testimony as an expert witness. Instead he may provide testimony regarding the development, implementation and analysis of the CMT and CMT results. The specific analysis of CMT results which will be described by this witness have been provided to the plaintiffs in Exhibit 16(f) of defendants' response to plaintiffs' first request for production, Exhibit 18(d) of defendants’ response to plaintiffs' second request for production, and Exhibit 10(c) of defendants' response to plaintiffs' third request for production. Dr. Rindone 1s also expected to note questions which have been raised regarding the effectiveness of the CMT in measuring the performance of students with limited English proficiency and how this problem might influence the overall CMT test results for a school district with high concentrations of LEP students. Dr. Rindone is also expected to note the variety of viewpoints in the education profession about the use and misuse of test results like the CMT results. He will also discuss the variety of viewpoints in the education profession regarding the use of testing as a measure of the quality of education being provided to children. The various viewpoints which Dr. Rindone will note will not necessarily be his own. Ea Dr. William Congero (DOE Consultant) c/0 State Department of Education, 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut 06106: Dr. Congero 1s not expected to offer opinion testimony as an expert witness. Instead he may provide testimony regarding the development, implementation and analysis of the CMT and CMT results. The specific analysis of CMT results which will be described by this witness have been provided to the plaintiffs in Exhibit 16(f) of defendants' response . to plaintiffs' first request for production, Exhibit 18(d) of defendants' response to plaintiffs' second request for production, and Exhibit 10(c) of defendants' response to plaintiffs' third request for production. Dr. Congero 1s also expected to note questions which have been raised regarding the effectiveness of the CMT in measuring the performance of students with limited English proficiency and how this problem might influence the overall CMT test results for a school district with high concentrations of LEP students. Dr. Congero is also expected to note the variety of viewpoints in the -10- education profession about the use and misuse of test results like the CMT results. He will also discuss the variety of viewpoints in the education profession regarding the use of testing as a measure of the quality of education being provided to children. The various viewpoints which Dr. Congero will note will not necessarily be his own. 7. Dr. Peter Behuniak (DOE Consultant) c/o State Department of Education, 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut 06106: Dr. Behuniak is not expected to offer opinion testimony as an expert witness. Instead he may provide testimony regarding the development, implementation and analysis of the CMT and CMT results. The specific analysis of CMT results which will be described by this witness have been provided to the plaintiffs in Exhibit 16(f) of defendants' response to plaintiffs' first request for production, Exhibit 18(d) of defendants' response to plaintiffs’ second request for production, and Exhibit 10(c) of defendants' response to plaintiffs' third request for production. Dr. Behuniak is also expected to note questions which have been raised regarding the effectiveness of the CMT in measuring the performance of students with limited English proficiency and how this problem might influence the overall CMT test results for a school district with high concentrations of LEP students. Dr. Behuniak is also expected to note the variety of viewpoints in the education profession about the use and misuse of test results like the CMT results. He will also discuss the variety of viewpoints in the education profession regarding the use of testing as a measure of the quality of education being provided to children. The various viewpoints which Dr. Behuniak will note will not necessarily be his own. 8. Br. Elliot Williams (DOE Consultant) c/o State Department of Education, 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut 06106: Dr. Williams is not expected to offer opinion testimony as an expert witness. Instead Dr. Williams will provide information regarding existing and planned programs promoting interdistrict -12- cooperation and improving integration. Specifically Dr. Williams will describe and verify the accuracy of the information found in Exhibits 3(x-z) to the defendants' response to plaintiffs' second request for production. 9. Dr. Robert Brewer (DOE Consultant) c/o State Department of Education, 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut 06106: Dr. Brewer is not expected to offer opinion testimony as an expert witness. Instead Dr. Brewer will offer testimony regarding state grants to local school districts generally and the state's financial contribution to the school districts in what the plaintiffs have described as the Hartford area in particular. Dr. Brewer will attest to the accuracy of the information found in Exhibits 4(ee) and 7 of defendants' response to plaintiffs' second request for production. Dr. Brewer 1s also expected to attest to the accuracy of data showing how Hartford's spending on students in regular education compares with other districts in the state. -13- 10. Dr. Peter Prowda (DOE Consultant) c/o State Department of Education, 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut 06106: Dr. Prowda is not expected to offer opinion testimony as an expert witness. Instead Dr. Prowda will offer testimony regarding the analysis of comparative rates of absenteeism provided to the plaintiffs as Exhibit 7(a) of the defendants’ response to plaintiffs' first request for production. 1%. Dr. Theodore Sergi (DOE Consultant) c/o State Department of Education, 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut 06106: Dr. Sergi 1s not expected to offer opinion testimony as an expert witness. Instead Dr. Sergi will offer testimony regarding the background, implementation and effectiveness of the state's priority school district grant program. Dr. Sergi's testimony will include an explanation of the analysis found in Exhibit 4(ff) of defendants' response to plaintiffs’ second request for production. -14- 12, Dr. Thomas Breen (DOE Consultant) c/o State Department of Education, 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut 06106. Dr. Breen is not expected to offer opinion testimony as an expert witness. Instead Dr. Breen will offer testimony regarding the racial and ethnic composition of schools and school districts throughout the state. He is also expected to focus on the racial and ethnic composition of the schools in Hartford and those towns which plaintiffs have identified as "suburban" communities for the purpose Of this suit. Among other things Dr. Breen is expected to verify the accuracy of the information contained in Exhibits 4(a) and 18(a-x) of defendants' response to plaintiffs fourth request for production. He will also verify the accuracy of data used by some of defendants' expert witnesses to analyze and compare the racial and ethnic composition of the schools in Hartford and the "suburban" communities. 13. Mr. Lloyd Calvert (Expert Witness) c/o Office of the Attorney General, 110 Sherman Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06105: -15- Mr. Calvert is the former Superintendent of Schools in West Hartford, Trumbull and Windsor and former Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Hartford. He 1s now serving as educational consultant to the Office of the Attorney General in regard to the Sheff v. O'Neill case. Mr. Calvert's resume has been provided to the plaintiffs as Exhibit 19(c) to defendants’ response to plaintiffs' fourth request for production. Mr. Calvert is expected to testify regarding the racial and ethnic composition of the Hartford public schools and certain trends regarding the. racial and ethnic composition of the Hartford public schools in comparison to the 21 school districts which plaintiffs have chosen to designate as suburban school districts. Tables and data which Mr. Calvert will rely on will be disclosed in response to the plaintiffs' earlier production requests when they have been prepared in final form. Mr. Calvert will also testify regarding the state's efforts to address the needs of disadvantaged and urban children since -16- the 1920's as evidenced 1n records of the State Board of Education and his own work and experience. Mr. Calvert is also expected to testify regarding his investigation of programs in the Hartford public schools including his observations regarding the way in which the programs offered by the Hartford public schools are designed to meet the special needs of the population being served, special approaches being undertaken in the Hartford public schools, and the attitudes and concerns of those who are serving children in the Hartford public schools. He 1s also expected to describe his involvement in and observation of interdistrict initiatives in the Hartford area. Finally Mr. Calvert will discuss some of the practical problems which would be faced if an attempt were made to reassign pupils to different schools in the Hartford area based upon their race, hational origin, socioeconomic status, or "at risk" status. His testimony will be based, in part, on his examination of -17- current enrollment 1n the Hartford public schools and other schools in the area. Mr. Calvert's work and study in the above noted areas has not been completed at this time. 14. Dr. Thomas E. Steahr, (Expert witness) c/o College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut, Box U-22, Room 318, 1376 Storrs Road, Storrs, CT 06269-4021. Dr. Steahr 1s presently serving as a full professor in the Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics of the University of Connecticut. Further details regarding his background and experience can be found in Exhibit 19(e) to the defendant's response to plaintiffs" fourth request for production. Dr. Steahr 1s expected to offer testimony regarding demographic patterns and trends in Connecticut generally and in the area which the plaintiffs have defined as the suburban -18- Hartford area in particular. His testimony is expected to focus on the following facts and opinions: 1. Based upon an analysis of census data, vital statistics, and State Department of Education records regarding the racial and ethnic composition of public schools in the Hartford area, and 1t appears that the overall and K-12 pupil populations of that area which has been defined by the plaintiffs as "suburban Hartford" are becoming more diverse; 1i.e., individuals from traditionally recognized minority groups are locating and attending school in the suburban towns at an increasing rate. 25 The steady increase in the growth of the minority population in the towns which have been identified as suburbs of Hartford runs counter to the notion that people from these minority groups are "trapped" in Hartford because of their race or national origin. 3. There has been a significant change in the composition of the "minority" population in Hartford. The evidence suggests -19- a net out migration of African Americans and a significant increase in the Hispanic or Latino population. 4. Concentrations of people of similar ethnic backgrounds in particular areas or towns is a natural phenomena which can and does occur without government promotion or sponsorship. Bs The concentration of African American and Hispanic or Latino citizens in Hartford and other urban areas of the state which is present today was not clearly foreseeable in the early 1900s given the limited information which was available at that time and the uncertainties of making these kinds of predictions even under the best of circumstances. The testimony and opinions which Dr. Steahr is expected to offer will be grounded on his many years of study and research in the eres of ‘demographics’ and particularly his study of demographic patterns in the State of Connecticut. He will also rely on his analysis of census bureau data, data regarding vital statistics maintained by the State Department of Health Services and data obtained from the State Department of Education -20- regarding the racial and ethnic composition of schools in the Hartford area. Tables and charts which Dr. Steahr is preparing will be provided to the plaintiffs when they are in final form. lo. Patricia Downs, Connecticut Department of Housing, 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT. Ms. Downs 1s the Director of Policy and Planning for the Department of Housing. Ms. Downs is not expected to offer opinion testimony. Rather, she will provide testimony regarding the mechanism for State funding of housing for low and moderate income families, including selection criteria. She is also expected to testify as to current and future plans and policies of the State of Connecticut with respect to housing for low and moderate income families. -2]1- FOR THE DEFENDANTS vi VY, Ys 7 Sh By: \ A // J gi \ John R. Whelan - Juris 085112 ‘Asgistant Attorney General 1Y0 Sherman Street Hartford, Connecticut 06105 ~ Tels. 566-7173 CERTIFICATION This 1s to certify that a copy of the foregoing was mailed postage prepaid to the following counsel of record on May 15, 1992: John Brittain, Esq. University of Connecticut School of Law 65 Elizabeth Street Hartford, CT 06105 Wilfred Rodriguez, Esq Hispanic Advocacy Project Neighborhood Legal Services 1229 Albany Avenue Hartford, CT 06112 Philip Tegeler, Esq. Martha Stone, Esq. Connecticut Civil Liberties Union 32 Grand Street Hartford, CT 06106 -22- Wesley W. Horton, Esq. Mollier, Horton & Fineberg, P.C. 90 Gillett Street Hartford, CT 06105 Ruben Franco, Esq. Jenny Rivera, Esq. Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund 99 Hudson Street l4th Floor New York, NY 10013 Julius L. Chambers, Esq Marianne Lado, Esq. Ronald Ellis, Esq. NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Educational Fund, Inc. 99 Hudson Street New York, NY 10013 John A. Powell, Esq. Helen Hershkoff, Esq. Adam S. Cohen, Esq. American Civil Liberties Union 132 West 43rd Street New 4; rk, NY 10036, LLL John’ R. Whelan Assistant Attorney General -23-