Plaintiffs' Proposed Findings of Fact
Public Court Documents
May 25, 1995
75 pages
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Case Files, Sheff v. O'Neill Hardbacks. Plaintiffs' Proposed Findings of Fact, 1995. 96318d88-a146-f011-8779-7c1e5267c7b6. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/3daa38ff-adc8-4f2a-95a7-e351ab5609a4/plaintiffs-proposed-findings-of-fact. Accessed November 23, 2025.
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S.C. 15255
MILO SHEFF, et al. SUPREME COURT
Plaintiffs
Vv. STATE OF CONNECTICUT
WILLIAM A. O'NEILL, et al.
Defendants MAY 25, 1995
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PLAINTIFFS’ PROPOSED FINDINGS OF FACT!
1 All proposed findings are as of the date of the trial in
this case, unless otherwise noted. References are to plaintiffs’
exhibits introduced in evidence at trial, as set out in plaintiffs’
Second Revised List of Trial Exhibits (revised March 3, 1993).
References to the trial transcript are listed by witness name for
plaintiffs’ witnesses. See Appendix for index to transcript dates.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HARTFORD METROPOLITAN AREA SCHOOLS ARE RACIALLY AND
ETHNICALLY SEGREGATED
RACIAL AND ETHNIC SEGREGATION ADVERSELY AFFECTS
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND RACIAL INTEGRATION
HAS POSITIVE EDUCATIONAL AND LONG TERM BENEFITS....
THE CONCENTRATION OF POVERTY IN THE HARTFORD
SCHOOLS HAS HARMFUL EFFECTS
A. There is a High Concentration of Poverty in
Hartford
B. The Harms of Poverty Concentration
RACIAL AND ECONOMIC ISOLATION ARE CLOSELY LINKED IN
HARTFORD
THE HARTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE INADEQUATE
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF
STUDENTS
Textbooks and Instructional Supplies
Equipment
Bilingual Education
Special Needs Programs
The Effects of Recent Budget Cuts
Cumulative Effects of Deficient Resources
EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR HARTFORD'S STUDENTS ARE
DEFICIENT AND WORSENING
A.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
Graduation and Drop-Out Rates
INTERDISTRICT COMPARISONS DEMONSTRATE ENORMOUS
DISPARITIES IN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES BETWEEN
HARTFORD AND SUBURBAN SCHOOLS
A.
B.
C. Textbook and Instructional Supplies
D. Library Books and Periodicals
E.
INTERDISTRICT COMPARISONS REVEAL ENORMOUS
DISPARITIES IN EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES BETWEEN
HARTFORD AND SUBURBAN TOWNS
Connecticut Mastery Tests
Credits Earned
Graduation and Drop-Out Rates
Patterns of Post-Secondary Education and Work
Activities
DEFENDANTS HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVELY INVOLVED IN THE
MAINTENANCE, ENFORCEMENT, AND OVERSIGHT OF
SEGREGATED, UNEQUAL EDUCATION IN THE HARTFORD AREA.
A. The Early History of State Control Over
Education..... . FLEE res
B.
XI.
wif1l =
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE STATE HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE HARMS OF RACIAL AND
ECONOMIC ISOLATION IN THE SCHOOLS, AND THE SERIOUS
INEQUITIES FACING CITY SCHOOLCHILDREN, AND HAS
REPEATEDLY FAILED TO TAKE ACTION TO ADDRESS THE
PROBLEM. oe ovis sissies sie inimicin os ein a sin sis nine sve owtin vine sine aims
A. Defendants Have Admitted that Racial Segregation
IS HammPud . oie rec ienns inert eins es sare
Defendants Have Long Been Aware That
Concentration of Poverty Has a Harmful Impact on
the Educational Process... .vc ivr venirnnvssecsve
Defendants Have Been Aware of the Other Severe
Educational Inequities Facing Schoolchildren in
the City of Hartford Including Disparities in
Student Resources and OULCOMES. . . cv oiv cvs cvvenen
The State’s Awareness of Feasible Remedies and
Its Failure to Act Over a 30-Year Period........
Existing Interdistrict Programs Are Inadequate..
The State Has Defined the Concepts of Equal
Educational Opportunity and Minimally Adequate
Education and Has Failed to Comply with Its Own
rd lo RUE SR IR Cy [RN Ne ran SL TS
PAGE
42
42
43
44
46
53
55
58
I. HARTFORD METROPOLITAN AREA SCHOOLS ARE RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY
SEGREGATED.
1. Connecticut ranks among the ten highest states for
intensity of school segregation for Hispanic students, and exhibited
the most rapid increase in Hispanic school segregation in the 1980s.
{Orfield p. 16; Pls’ Ex. 457)
2. Only four of the 21 nearby school districts (Bloomfield,
East Hartford, Manchester and Windsor) have more than 15% African
American and Latino student populations. (Pls’ Exs. 209-230)
3. Thirteen of the surrounding school districts are less than
seven percent African American and Latino. (Pls’ Exs. 202-230)
4. Hartford reported the greatest numerical growth in its
African American, Latino and Asian populations. (Defs’ Bx. 1.3)
5. Most suburban towns have had insignificant gains in Black
and Latino population. (Pls’ Exs. 85, 127, 138; Steahr at 99-101)
6. Although a few suburbs have seen increases in minority
population over the past ten years, this development has not
ameliorated the increasing racial isolation of Hartford students.
{Pls’ Exe. 85, 127, 138)
7. The racial isolation of the Hartford schools continues to
increase, and shows no signs of reversing. (Pls’ Bx. 126, 130)
8. The vast majority of suburban towns also remain segregated.
(Pls’ Exs. 1256, 130)
9. In 1991, defendants predicted that "enrollment of minority
students is projected to increase from 24.3 percent in 1989 to 30.9
percent of the public school population by 2005. Hispanic students
are expected to be the predominant minority group (13.7 percent of
the total school enrollment) by 2004. (Pls’ Ex. 77 at 7)
10. Few students enjoy exposure to an integrated faculty. The
large cities employ 70.6% of the minority group teachers; the small
towns, just over 1%. (Pls’ Ex. 73, at 6)
11. Plaintiffs’ Exhibits 101-123 and 85 (Minority Students and
Staff Reports) were prepared by the Connecticut Department of
Education and include accurate summaries of the number and percent
of minority students and staff in Hartford and the surrounding
districts, from 1968 through 1992.
12. Plaintiffs’ Exhibit 138, based on U.S. Census data, is an
accurate summary of minority population in Hartford and surrounding
towns, from 1940 to 1990.
13. Plaintiffs’ exhibits 209-289 (Strategic School Profiles)
accurately summarize educational and demographic data for Hartford
and surrounding towns, as well as for individual schools in those
districts.
14, The majority of Connecticut’s students remain isolated
from daily educational contact with students of other races and
ethnic groups. = (Pls’ Ex. 73 at 3)
15. Racial isolation has increased and continues to increase
throughout Connecticut. (Pls’ Ex. 73 at 4)
16. Fourteen of the state’s 166 school districts are home to
30 percent of the state’s total student population, 77 percent of
the minority student population and 81 percent of the children
receiving AFDC benefits. (Pls’ Ex. 77 at 8)
17. While 25% of the public school enrollment in Connecticut
is minority children, almost 80% of that minority enrollment is
concentrated in the thirteen urban school districts of the State.
(Pls’ Ex. 82 at B)
II. RACIAL AND ETHNIC SEGREGATION ADVERSELY AFFECTS EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES AND RACIAL INTEGRATION HAS POSITIVE EDUCATIONAL
AND LONG TERM BENEFITS.
18. As the United States Civil Rights Commission noted in
1967, racial isolation in the schools "fosters attitudes and
behavior that perpetuate isolation in other important areas of
American life." (Pls’ Ex. 11 at 110)
19. Dr. Jomills Braddock is an expert in equity and social
justice in the areas of education and employment, who testified that
racial and ethnic segregation has long-term adverse effects on all
students attending isolated schools. (Braddock PP. 8,18)
20. Dr. Braddock based his testimony on a series of studies
that he conducted on the long-term effects of school desegregation
in post-secondary institutions and in employment settings.
(Braddock p. 8)
21. Dr. Braddock based his testimony on longitudinal studies
examining the relationship between attending a segregated elementary
school and the likelihood of attending a segregated college.
(Braddock pp. 9-11)
22. Dr. Braddock’s testimony was also based on longitudinal
studies of the links between attending a segregated elementary
school and later finding employment and working in a segregated
workplace. (Braddock pp. 11-12)
23. Dr. Braddock also based his testimony on his review of
‘research on the long term effects of segregation on education and
employment outcomes and his studies of issues of employment equity.
(Braddock pp. 14-15)
24. Dr. Braddock’s testimony was also based on his research on
the participation patterns among student subgroups in school
activities and the impact of these patterns on long and short term
student outcomes. (Braddock p. 16)
25. Segregation in school years leads to segregation in later
life. (Braddock p. 18)
26. Individuals from different backgrounds tend to avoid
interactions with one another unless they have prior ‘contact.
{Braddock p. 18)
27. Early segregation experiences in school tend to perpetuate
themselves over the life cycles of whites as well as of African
Americans and Latinos. (Braddock p. 21)
28. Opportunities for children of different groups to interact
tends to lead to integrated workplaces, integrated schools,
integrated neighborhoods, and mixed-race friendships. (Braddock p.
20)
29. Minority students are often excluded from the employment
networks which are essential for success in later employment and
other beneficial life outcomes. (Braddock p. 22)
30. Desegregated experiences allow minorities to break down
systemic barriers to equal opportunity, provide access to important
networks and overcome the stigma sometimes associated with minority
institutions. (Braddock p. 22)
31. Some of the documented long-term benefits of desegregation
include: (1) access to useful social networks of job information;
(2) socialization for entrance into "non-traditional" career lines
with higher income returns; and (3) development of interpersonal
skills useful in interracial contexts. (Defs’ Ex. 12.25 at 18-19)
32. Racial isolation in the Hartford area will perpetuate
‘itself over the students’ life cycles as they pursue employment and
other adult outcomes. (Braddock p. 31)
33. Dr. William Trent is an expert in the sociology of
education, who testified about studies he had conducted using
national longitudinal databases that illustrate long-term impacts on
students in racially segregated and economically isolated school
situations. (Trent pp. 11-15)
34. Dr. Trent based his testimony on analyses of the High
‘School and Beyond, a national survey sponsored by the United States
Department of Education, and the National Longitudinal Survey of the
Youth Labor Force Cohort (Parnes), sponsored by the United States
Department of Labor. (Trent pp. 15-18)
35. The methodology of Dr. Trent’s study was sound and
consistent with professional standards. (Trent pp. 27-31)
36. Dr. Trent's analysis demonstrated that, for all students,
regardless of racial or ethnic group, and independent of the
individual socio-economic status of students, as the racial and
ethnic isolation of a school increases, there is a statisticallv
significant negative impact on later employment in an integrated
workforce. (Trent pp. 77-78; Pls’ Ex. 481-CC, DD, EE, Fr)
37. As racial diversity in school increases, there is a
significant positive effect on later employment in an integrated
workforce. (Trent pp. 69-70; 77-78)
38. Students who experience racial diversity early in life are
more likely to favorably experience racial diversity later. (Trent
p. 61)
39. Dr. Robert Crain is an expert in school desegregation,
urban politics and research methods. (Crain p. 7)
40. Dr. Crain testified about the result of his study of
Project Concern, a small one-way interdistrict busing program
established in the Hartford area in 1966. (Crain pp. 15-17)
41. Defendants’ experts agreed that Dr. Crain work is of a
high order of methodological clarity and meets high methodological
standards. (Armor I p. 99; Rossell II at 82)
42. The Project Concern study demonstrates that there are
long-term harmful effects resulting from segregated education. (Pls’
Ex. 386 pp. 12, 55-57; Pls’ Ex. 387 Pp. 26-29)
43. Segregation has harmful effects in African-American
students’ likelihood of dropping out from high school and dropping
out of college. (Pls’ Ex. 386 pp. 14, 19, 25-26, 64-67; Crain pp.
32, 40)
44. The effect of racial desegregation on long term
educational attainment is large when compared to the effect of
differences in family background. Regression analysis demonstrate
that family background differences cannot explain the effects of
racial desegregation on long-term educational attainment. (Pls’ Ex.
386 p. 25)
45. Segregation has additional long-term harmful effects on
African Americans, including a decrease in the likelihood of having
useful contacts with whites later in life. African Americans from
segregated school settings are less likely to have positive social
contacts with whites later in life. (Pls’ Ex. 386 pp. 27-30; Crain
at 32, 48-50)
46. Even after controlling for self-selection bias and for
socioeconomic status, including such factors as mother’s education,
home ownership, the number of parents in the home, and number of
siblings, the Project Concern study found that segregation has
harmful effects on high school dropout rates and college retention
rates and that desegregation experience has positive effects.
(Crain at 44; Pls’ Ex. 386, pp. 64-67)
47. The Project Concern study demonstrates that the harmful
results of school segregation include increased likelihood of early
female childbearing, increased likelihood that African American
students will experience difficulties with their social environment
in college, and decreased likelihood that African American women
will look for housing in integrated settings later in life. (Crain
at 53; Pls’ Bx. 387 pp. 26-29)
48. The Project Concern study demonstrates that school
segregation adversely affects the occupational aspirations of
African American students and their own perceptions of their chances
for promotion. (Crain at 60-62; Pls’ Ex. 387 Pp. 24-25)
49. The Project Concern study also demonstrates that school
segregation has harmful effects on students’ long-term occupational
attainment. (Crain at 33; Pls’ Ex. 387 p. 26)
50. The Project Concern study also demonstrates that
segregated students are more likely to work in the public sector
than the private sector. African Americans with segregated
schooling who did work in the private sector were more likely to be
in relatively low level jobs. (Crain at 33, 58-60; Armor I at 147;
Pls’ Ex. 387 pp. 13, 34)
Rl. Dr. Crain controlled for the effects of students’
individual socioeconomic status in his study of Project Concern.
Dr. Trent also controlled for the effects of students’ individual
socioeconomic status in his analysis of the high school and beyond
and PARNES data. (Armor I at 22)
52, Desegregation research demonstrates that there is a
positive effect of desegregation on academic achievement, which is
more significant when integration begins in the earlier grades.
(Slavin p. 72)
~~ =
; 53. The evidence shows that all children benefit from a
diverse educational background. (Pls’ Ex. 60 p. 1; Defs’ Ex. 12.5;
Pls’ Ex. 50 p. 7)
54. Even a high quality instructional program cannot achieve
maximum levels of excellence if provided in a racially or ethnically
isolated environment. (Pls’ Ex. 82 at 8)
55. There are benefits to reducing racial and ethnic
segregation that are not measured by academic achievement tests,
including the benefit of improving knowledge of one another in a
multi-cultural society. (Armor I pp. 142-143)
56. School segregation has a generational effect in that
children who go to school in a segregated environment are more
likely to live in a segregated community in the future. (Armor I p.
146)
57. Segregation inflicts a sense of isolation on Hartford
children. (Neuman-Johnson II p. 14)
58. Suburban children are unprepared to deal with the demands
of a multicultural world. (Neuman-Johnson II pp. 15-17; Dudley pp.
129-133)
59. The self-esteem of Hartford school children is damaged
when they are separated from the rest of society and they perceived
a whole other "world that doesn’t belong to [them]." (Hernandez p.
42, 64)
60. In his 1993 speech to the Connecticut Legislature,
defendant Governor Weicker admitted that "by exposing all of our
students to a diverse world, in which they will spend their
lifetimes, we enrich them and better prepare all of them for
success." (Pls’ Ex. 90)
III. THE CONCENTRATION OF POVERTY IN THE HARTFORD SCHOOLS HAS
HARMFUL EFFECTS.
A. There is a High Concentration of Poverty in Hartford.
61. Over 16,000 children in the city live in poverty, giving
Hartford the sixth highest child poverty rate among America’s 200
largest cities. (Pls’ Ex. 456; Orfield I pp. 18-19)
62. Dr. Gary Natriello is a professor of Sociology and
Education at Teachers’ College, Columbia University, who prepared an
extensive report on the resources available in the Hartford School
District and other Connecticut school districts. Dr Natriello is an
expert in the provision of educational services to children.
(Natriello pp. 43-49; Pls’ Ex. 162)
£3. The methodology of Natriello study was sound and
consistent with professional standards. (Bls’ Ex. 163; Natriello
PP. 351-53).
64. The data on which the Natriello study was based consisted
primarily of reports by defendants and entirely of official reports
by governmental bodies. (Pls’ Ex. 163; Natriello PP. 51-53, 70)
65. Much of the data on which the Natriello study relied,
including Exhibits 208, 216, 217, 219 and 227 was stipulated to.
{Natriello p. 70)
65. The Natriello study accurately reports facts about the
schools in Hartford, neighboring communities, and the state.? {Pls’
Ex. 163; Forman pp. 40-42)
67. Sixty-three percent of Hartford's students receive free
and reduced lunch. As a result of the methodology used by Hartford
schools, this statistic may underestimate the percentage of students
participating in the free and reduced lunch program. (Natriello p.
67)
68. Health factors such as being born with low birth weight,
being born to a mother on drugs at birth or being born to a teen
mother has been correlated with later educational and cognitive
difficulties, student health, student attendance and student
performance. (Natriello I p. 63)
69. Almost thirty-six percent of the housing units in Hartford
require the occupants to spend 30% or more of their household income
on housing costs. (Table 2, Pls’ Ex. 263 at 38)
70. Forty percent of the children in Hartford are living with
parent(s) with no labor force participation. (Table 2, Pls’ Ex. 163
at 38)
71. Economic status of parents is a fairly good predictor of
schooling difficulty. (Natriello p. 65)
72. In a community with low employment rates, students do not
learn the value of education. (Natriello pp. 87-89)
2 [With the exception of Table 4.]
: 73. In an average Hartford class of 23.4 students, 9.4 will be
from a family in which the parent(s) do not participate in the labor
force. (Table 2, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 38)
74. Many children in Hartford are born to teenage mothers. A
high proportion of these teens are in school themselves and are ill-
equipped to take care of a newborn. (Noel p. 30)
75. Over thirty-five percent of the Hartford households reside
in dwellings which the United States Commerce Department would
characterize as inadequate housing. (Natriello p. 77; Pls’ Ex. 163
at 26)
76. A high proportion of Hartford students live in poor
housing, including doubled-up quarters in the projects, and
frequently move. (Griffin p. 84; Negron p. 64)
77. It is more difficult for students who come from a
community with a high crime rate to do well in school. (Natriello
pp. 85-86)
78. A high proportion of Hartford students live in housing
with high crime rates. (Morris p. 140; Griffin p. 84)
79. Many children in the bilingual program have had
interrupted schooling, having been exposed to many different
curricula. (Marichal) p. 15)
80. Hartford principals report high levels of student mobility
in the schools. (Natriello pp. 80-81)
81. The effect of poverty in Hartford is highlighted by the
wealth of the surrounding towns, giving the Hartford region one of
the highest rates of city-suburban income disparity in the nation.
{(Pls’' Exs. 531, 5332; Pigure 33, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 153; Natriello, p.
177)
82. 63% of Hartford students receive free and reduced lunch,
compared to 4% in Farmington, 4.7% in Glastonbury, and 9.8% in West
Hartford (Natriello I p. 176; Pls’ Ex. 163, Table 13, at 151).
| 83. In all six areas the gap between Hartford and the suburbs
has actually widened during ten year period from 1980-1990.
(Rindone at 111)
84. While median family income in the suburbs has more than
doubled, Hartford's has risen only $10,000 during the ten year
period from 1980-1990. (Rindone at 120)
85. While the percent of families below the poverty level
decreased from 1980-1990, in eighteen of the twenty-one suburban
towns, it not only increased in Hartford, but the increased
percentage differential was greater than in all of the other towns.
(Defs’ Ex. 8.2; Rindone at 119-21)
86. From 1980-1990, Hartford's median income grew at a slower
rate than any of the suburban towns’ median incomes. (Defs’ Ex.
8.2; Rindone at 119-21)
87. Hartford's poor are getting poorer in comparison to
surrounding communities. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 152 and Figure 33, at
153; Rindone p. 121)
88. The presence of indicators of disadvantaging
characteristics in Hartford is much more likely than in Farmington,
Glastonbury, and West Hartford. In all cases, the indicators are at
least double in Hartford. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 149 and Table 13 at 151;
Natriello p. 175)
89. The largest differences in disadvantaging characteristics
between Hartford and the three surrounding communities are in the
areas of free and reduced lunch (63% Hartford and less than 10% in
the three surrounding communities), minority group membership (92%
Hartford and less than 15% in the three surrounding communities),
and parent labor force participation (40% unemployed in Hartford,
less than 3% in the three surrounding communities). (Natriello p.
176; Table 13, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 151)
90. Hartford had the lowest percentage (72%) of elementary
students who have attended a particular school for at least one
year. In the suburban districts, the percent ranges from 78.9 to
97%, which causes instability for the students and additional
burdens on staff. (Natriello II pp. 6-7; Figure 35, Pls’ Ex. 163 at
155)
B. The Harms of Poverty Concentration
91. The socioeconomic status of individual children and the
concentration of poor children within the schools are
distinguishable concepts and each can be measurable. (Crain II at
08, 69)
92. The socioeconomic status of individual children and the
concentration of poor children within the schools each affect the
educational and long-term achievement of students. (Crain IX at 68,
69)
93. The independent effect of the concentration of poverty
within the schools can be measured controlling for the effect of
individual factors such as student socioeconomic status or student
race. (Crain at 69; Armor I at 155)
94. It is important to separate out the effects on educational
achievement of individual characteristics from community-wide
factors, such as school segregation or the quality of schooling.
(Armor J at 21)
95. Difference in individual socioeconomic status and the
concentration of poverty in the schools are both factors in
explaining differences in student performance. (Kennedy pp. 16, 26-
28,:30~31,.70)
96. The high concentration of poor children in a school
adversely affects student achievement. (Kennedy pp. 16, 70)
87. Even the defendants’ main expert on individual poverty
effects, Dr. Armor, concedes the harmful effect of the concentration
of poverty in schools. (Armor p. 148)
98. Dr. Kennedy is an expert in educational research methods
and program evaluation. (Kennedy at 2-8)
99. Dr. Kennedy has written two reports to the United States
Congress on the effectiveness and on the funding distribution of
Chapter I, the federal compensatory education program designed to
help school districts that serve large concentrations of poor
children. (Kennedy at 6, 9)
100. Dr. Kennedy's testimony was based, in part, on a report
she produced for Congress on the distribution of poor children across schools, districts, and states, and the relationship between poverty and achievement. (Kennedy at 11)
101, The methodology of the Kennedy study was sound and consistent with professional standards. (Pls’ Ex. 419)
102. The Chapter I study was based on a number of data bases, including the panel study of income dynamics (PSID) developed by the University of Michigan in the Institute for Social Research, the Sustaining Effects Study developed by Systems Development Corporation and the High School and Beyond Database, developed by the National Center of Education Statistics at the United States Department of Education. (Kennedy at 12-13)
103. The Chapter I study measured the effects of the concentration of poverty by calculating the percent of students in a given school whose families are poor. (Kennedy at 23)
104. School composition, i.e. the percent of poor children
attending a particular school, is related to student achievement.
(Kennedy at 16)
105. The concentration effect is not limited to students who
are themselves poor but to other students in the school as well.
(Kennedy at 26)
106. Achievement levels of both poor and non-poor students are
lower in high poverty concentration schools. (Kennedy pp. 26-28)
107. The concentration of poverty has adverse effects on
achievement levels over and above the effects of family poverty.
{Kennecly at 27, 31)
108. The negative effect of the concentration of poverty on
student achievement is found even when indicators of individual
socioeconomic status such as mother’s level of education, the number
of siblings and family poverty are controlled. (Kennedy at 30-31,
75)
109. The effects of the concentration of poverty on student
achievement may be underestimated because poverty concentration has
a high correlation with the child's starting level of achievement.
(Kennedy at 78)
110. Dr Kennedy performed a statistical analysis to control
for such individual variables as the mother’s education, the family
poverty, the student’s gender, whether the mother worked outside the
home, the number of siblings and whether the family language was
English, and found that poverty concentration still had a
significant effect on students’ achievement at virtually every grade
level. (Kennedy pp. 30-31)
111. The effect of the concentration of poverty was a part
from and larger than the effect of the students’ individual poverty.
(Pls’ Ex. 508b)
112. The disparity in achievement between schools with a high
concentration of poor students and schools with a lower percentage
of poor students widens as the children continue through school.
. (Kennedy at 30)
113. Economic isolation has negative implications for the long
term educational attainment of Latino and Puerto Rican students and
is consistent with the negative impact of the concentration of
poverty experienced by African American and white students. (Pls’
Ex. 481-J; Trent pp. 50, 59, 75)
114. Regression analysis can sort out effects or contributions
of individual potential causes of disparate educational outcomes.
{Armor 1 at 21)
115. Dr. Armor’s study did not evaluate the independent
effects of the concentration of poverty in the schools nor did it
separate out the effects of individual socioeconomic status from the
concentration of poverty. (Armor I at 142, 155)
116. The concept of socioeconomic status used by Dr. Armor
included not only factors associated with individual students’
families but also factors associated with their neighborhoods and
communities. (Armor I at 154)
117. Dr. Armor’s conclusions about the impact of the
socioeconomic status of students on their achievement is based on a
mathematical formula that factored in but did not control for the
impact of the concentration of poverty in the schools. (Armor I at
134; Crain at 60)
118. Dr. Armor based his conclusions about the impact of
student socioeconomic status on the results of a mathematical
formula that took account of the percent of single parent families
in the communities studied and other community-based factors.
(Crain at 60)
119. Dr. Armor acknowledged that a community level measure of
poverty could have a greater effect than an individual measure of
socioeconomic status. (Armor pp. 159-60)
120. Dr. Armor’s paper was not publishable, because the data
is inadequate and the methodology not rigorous. (Crain II at 73)
121. Some of the variables representing socioeconomic status
used by Dr. Armor in his study represent the concentration of
poverty. (Armor I at 155)
122. The percentage of single parent families and the levels
of education and income in a community used by Dr. Armor in his
study were indicators of the concentration of poverty. (Armor I at
155)
123. Dr. Armor’s study of the differences in educational
achievement between Hartford and the suburbs measures, in part, the
effects of the concentration of poverty and the quality of the
school program. (Crain at 67)
124. Many children lag behind as much as two to three years at
the time they enter school, causing additional challenges to
classroom instruction. (Montanez p. 11)
13 -
125. Many children enter school at five or six years old
‘suffering from severe developmental and speech delays. (Montanez P-
11; Negron p. 66; Defs’ Ex. 2.18 p. 1)
126. Some can’t form a sentence, understand cognitively how to
ask a question or describe items, and articulate with appropriate
vocabulary. (Cloud p. 99; Hernandez p. 35)
127. Hartford’s school children are not receiving a successful
start to their school career. During the 1980s, between a fifth and
a fourth of all of Hartford's kindergarten students were retained.
(Defs’ Ex. 2.18 p. 5)
128. Because many of the students witness so much crime and
violence in their neighborhoods (Morris p. 140), they come to school
with high levels of anxiety, as one teacher explained, "not ready to
learn." (Montanez p. 12)
123. A great number of students suffer from low self-esteem
and poor social skills as a result of poverty and isolation.
(Montanez p. 13; Morris p. 139; Noel p. 25; Davis p. 86)
330. In one elementary school, there were three attempted
suicides in the last three years. (Id.)
131. Teachers must divert energies from instruction to deal
with the high number of mental health needs of the students before
any meaningful teaching can occur. (Montanez pp. 12, 14)
132. Students may come to school wearing inadequate clothing.
(Montanez p. 13; Griffin p. 84; Carso p. 91)
133. The Hartford school system has been forced to spend a
disproportionate share of its resources on social workers, guidance
counselors, psychologists, nurses, security officers, and programs
made necessary by the special needs of Hartford students. (Senteio
p- 19)
134. The fact that 18% of the population receives special
education services places "an inordinate burden on the school in
order to address those youngsters, and the services those youngsters
need in order to move the youngsters from a special education
‘Program into a mainstream program." (Haig at 67)
135. The concentration of problems in Hartford have a negative
effect on the ability of students to learn even above the effect of
each individual item. (Natriello pp. 92-94)
136. The effects of high concentration of poverty of
disadvantaged students in a school district can be eliminated by
changing the concentration of disadvantaging characteristics along
with efforts that address the problems through special programs.
(Natriello III p. 175)
137. Reductions in poverty concentration can positively affect
student achievement (Orfield I pp. 59-60).
138. Independent of individual socioeconomic status, the
concentration of poor students in the schools has negative
consequences for the educational attainment of Latino, African
American, and white students. (Pls’' Bx. 4813, K, 0; Trent at 50,
56-59, 75-76)
139. Independent of the socioeconomic status of the individual
students, the concentration of poor students in the school has
negative consequences for the occupational attainment of students
across ethnic groups, including Puerto Ricans, Latinos generally,
and African Americans. (Pls’ Ex. 481C; Trent at 34, 36, 38, 40, 74)
140. Independent of the socioeconomic status of the individual
student, for African American students, the concentration of poor
students in the school has negative consequences for future income.
{(Pls’ Ex. 481g; Trent at 45, 75)
141. Independent of the socioeconomic status of the individual
students, the concentration of poor students in the schools has
negative consequences for the likelihood of developing positive co-
worker relations across racial lines. (Pls’ Ex. 481v)
IV. RACIAL AND ECONOMIC ISOLATION ARE CLOSELY LINKED IN HARTFORD
142. Hartford exhibits "an extraordinarily strong
relationship" between race and economic segregation. (Orfield I pp.
24, 20-25)
143. In his 1993 speech to the Legislature, defendant Governor
Weicker admitted that "the racial and economic isolation in
Connecticut's school system is indisputable." {(Pls’ Ex. 90)
144. A large number of elementary schools are severely
isolated by both class and race. (Pls’ Ex. 513)
145. The State Department of Education has also confirmed the
"joint concentration of both low economic status and minority
enrollment” in Connecticut schools. (Pls’ Ex. 56 at 37) For
example, for fourth grade students statewide, "[t]he schools with
over 80% of their students in the free/reduced lunch category also
had over 80% of their students in minority categories." 1d.
- se,
146. The high concentration of poverty in the schools is
closely linked to extreme racial segregation in the schools, which
heightens the detrimental impacts of poverty concentration on Black
and Latino students. (Pls’ Ex. 56 at 37)
147. Defendants have admitted that "the combined incidence of
poverty, racial isolation and limited English proficiency presents
major challenges to the provisions of equal educational
opportunities, particularly for children in our urban communities."
{(Pls’' Ex. 77 at 7)
Vv. THE HARTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE INADEQUATE EDUCATIONAL
RESOURCES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS.
148. Defendants have officially stated that, "those who need
more must receive more” (Pls’ Ex. 39 at 1).
149. The Hartford public schools lack the resources necessary
to provide their students with an adequate education. (Natriello P.
98)
150. The resources in Hartford are not appropriate to the
needs. There are serious and sustained deficiencies. (2ils’ Ex. 163
at 265; Natriello II p. 62-63)
151. Students in Hartford need more, not less educational
resources, because their experiences are often reduced and they
bring so many divergent needs to the classroom (Negron p. 74;
Griffin, p. 86; Hernandez p. 43).
152. Educationally disadvantaged students need more
educational resources than the "average" student -- they need
smaller classes, more one-on-one attention, more special programs,
and more followup in the home and community, just to begin the
learning process. In attempting to provide additional resources to
these children, resources and attention are necessarily diverted
from regular education. (Pls’ Ex. 479 at 112; Pls’ Ex. 494 at 70-
77).
153. The Hartford schools are “"underresourced «+ + +» + Given
the needs of those students." (Natriello II pp. 62-63; Pls’ Ex. 163
sat 79)
154. Students from such homes are more likely to drop out and
less likely to have necessary parental support than students from
two parent homes. (Natriello p. 71)
185. Students whose parents have less education are less
likely to succeed because the parents are less likely to be able to
help with homework, and less likely to advocate for and manage their
children’s education. This also makes such students more difficult
for teachers. (Natriello pp. 73-74)
156. Latino children often enter the system unable to speak
clearly in English or Spanish. (Montanez p. 11; Hernandez p. 36)
157. One of the main mental health issues children in Hartford
face is chronic depression. (Negron p. 71)
158. For most single parent families, resources are limited.
Parental involvement with the schools or assistance with homework
often is non-existent (Cloud p. 96; Noel p. 28, Hernandez P- 38).
159. The problems created by inadequate housing can be
overcome, but Hartford does not have the resources to do so.
{Natriello p. 81)
160. When there is inadequate housing, students are
disadvantaged by not having quiet places to study and by not having
stable housing. (Natriello p. 76)
161. When there is inadequate housing, students move more and
mobility strains the ability of the schools to provide adequate
education. (Natriello pp. 76-77)
162. The Hartford schools have large numbers of special-needs
students who require extra resources to educate. {Pls’ Ex. 163 at
41)
163. Although the gross amount of money spent per pupil in
Hartford does not appear out of line with other Connecticut
communities, the conclusion that adequate resources are being
expended is unwarranted given the greater needs of Hartford’s
students and the manner in which the money is spent. (Natriello pp.
97-101; Pls’ Ex. 163 at 156-164)
164. Hartford spends a tremendous amount on bilingual
education and special education transportation. Id. at 20. when
looking at the regular program expenditure per pupil, Hartford "fell
down" to a rank of "a hundred and thirty-third" in a total of one
hundred sixty-five school districts. (Kennelly at 107)
165. Hartford is forced to spend a disproportionate amount on
fire and police protection and other municipal services, straining
local tax revenues. (Defs’ Ex. 6.3, pp. 9, 72-74, 79)
166. Hartford schools are "not adequate" and "not sufficient."
(LaFontaine I pp. 124, 146; LaFontaine II Pp. 145; Senteio p. 24;
Senteio p. 19)
7
167. Hartford "lacks the resources it needs to provide a
quality education.” (Wilson p. 25).
168. The "enormously high levels of Hartford's disadvantaging
characteristics" directly impede the educational process.
(Natriello I pp. 89, 90-91)
169. The concentration of problems in Hartford require
educational resources greater than those needed to respcnd to more
advantaged students. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 44: Natriello pp. 92-94)
170. Over time, there has been no improvement in the
deficiencies in Hartford's educational system. (Natriello IT p. 60)
171. With sufficient resources, schools can make a difference
in addressing the problems children bring to the schools.
{Natriello p. 95)
A. Staffing and Curriculum
172. Hartford has 1.26% fewer general elementary teachers and
has 4% fewer contact specialist teachers than the statewide average.
(Natriello at 103; Table 3, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 49)
173. The number of first year teachers is twice the statewide
average (Natriello at 106), leaving the most inexperienced group of
teachers to confront "the most challenging groups of students in the
Connecticut public school system." (Natriello at 107; Table 4, Pls’
Ex. 163 at 53)
174. Valid requests for additional teachers and other staff
are routinely rejected because of lack of resources. (Shea p. 131)
175. Given the extra needs of Hartford’s school population,
Hartford's schools employ on average more special education teachers
and content-specialist teachers than other districts. (Natriello I
P. 103; Table 3, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 49)
176. The Hartford schools lack an adequate staff of nurses,
guidance counsellors, psychologists and social workers. The
available staff cannot adequately address emotionally troubled
‘students’ problems and help them to succeed in school and afterward.
(Cloud pp. 91-93; LaFontaine I Pp. 129; Griffin p. 86; Hernandez P-
46; Dickens pp. 154-55; Negron pp. 67, 71, 81; LaFontaine p. 129)
177. Hartford schools lack an adequate number of social
workers to deal with the social problems that many children have
that prevent students from learning (Negron I p. 71; Noel p. 32).
Likewise, they lack a sufficient number of psychologists. (Dickens
PP. 154-55; Negron I pp. 67, 81).
18.
178. The Hartford system also lacks a sufficient number of
speech therapists. (Cloud p. 92; Hernandez p- 47)
179. Many Hartford schools offer only limited programs in
physical education, music, and art. (Hernandez P. 43; Cloud p. 104)
180. Given the overwhelming number of problems students bring
into the classroom, the staffing composition is insufficient. See
Wilson at 6-19
181. The high concentration of poor children in Hartford
schools places enormous demands on Hartford administrators (Forman
Pp. 14-16), who spend large amounts of time on non-instructional
matters, leaving no time to assist faculty with professional
development. (Pitocco pp. 64-66)
B. Textbooks and Instructional Supplies
182. Hartford does not have sufficient resources to spend on
textbooks to meet the educational needs of its regular education or
bilingual education students. (Carso p. 101; Noel p. 28; Negron p.
73; Marichal pp. 20-21)
183. The Hartford school system has only half of the statewide
average funding to spend on textbooks and instructional supplies.
(Pls’ Ex. 163 at 63; Natriello at 118)
184. Textbook appropriation has been reduced by 26-27% over
the last few years. (Haig p. 62)
185. Hartford principals report that there are entire areas of
the curriculum for which they do not have textbooks. (Natriello pp.
199-20)
186. Hartford principals report that they cannot phase in new
textbooks as needed, but will have to wait until the next decade to
complete the process of replacing necessary, new textbooks.
(Natriello pp. 119-120)
187. Many teachers fill the gap with books that they buy with
their own money. (Montanez p. 20; Anderson P. 119)
188. Some teachers reuse books that were made to be used in
one year and then discarded. (Anderson p. 117)
189. Many students have to share textbooks (Montanez pp. 19-
20).
190. Studies show that the failure to provide textbooks has an
adverse effect on learning. (Natriello Pp. 118-19)
-ii19 -
191. Failure to provide needed textbooks presents an even more
‘acute problem in a community such as Hartford where poverty prevents
many parents from replacing or substituting materials. (Natriello
pp. 120-21) :
hth Equipment
192. The high schools have insufficient, old, and non-
functioning equipment in the life management, technology education,
science and business departments. (Griffin pp. 86-87, 89; Davis p.
727)
183. The budget for equipment for the science program at
Hartford Public High School is $804 or less than $0.50 per student,
an amount which is inadequate. (Natriello p. 129)
194. There are substantial inadequacies in the availability of
computers and teacher training in computers. (Wilson Pp. 15-16, 22,
25)
195. Computer literacy is increasingly important in schools.
(Natriello p. 127)
196. The school district’s goal is to have eight computers per
classroom, but it does not even have one computer per classroom
today. (Wilson p. 15; Haig p. 60)
197. Hartford lacks the funds to repair computers. (Wilson
pp. 15-16)
198. Many classrooms have out-of-date maps. (Wilson pp. 21-22)
199. Other inadequacies in educational equipment, include lack
of furniture (Carso pp. 103-04), lack of high school laboratory
experiences (Davis p. 79; Griffin p. 89-90), and inadequate art
supplies (Cloud p. 90).
200. The chronic lack of supplies in Hartford classrooms has
a detrimental effect on teacher "effectiveness." {Pitocco p. 74)
201. The lack of functioning equipment causes extreme
frustration for the most motivated students and teachers. (Davis p.
77)
202. Some Hartford teachers spend hundreds of dollars of their
Own money to provide basic instructional supplies for their classes.
(Carso pp. 101-02; Anderson p. 122; Pitocco P. 74; Neuman-Johnson p.
8)
- 20 »
D. Libra Books and Periodicals
203. The library collections of the Hartford public schools
were studied by a district committee in 1989. (Pls’ Ex. 186) Using
the American Library Association’s standards for school media
programs, the committee found that the number of books per pupil in
the collections of the Hartford Public Schools was 10.96,
substantially below the recommended minimum standard of 17.32 books.
(Pls’ Ex. 186 at Table 11; Pls’ Ex. 163 at 69)
204. The libraries lack an adequate supply of periodicals,
computer materials, microform and microfiche, and non-print media.
(Pls’ Bx. 163 at 69)
205. Of Hartford's 31 schools, only one met the minimum
standard for periodicals, only one met the minimum standard for
microfiche and microfilm materials, only one met the minimum
standard for computer materials, only seven met the minimum standard
for video tape materials, and only 10 met the minimum standard for
non-print materials such as films, filmstrips, and audio tapes.
(Pls' :Ex. 163 at 69)
206. The committee found that only three of Hartford's thirty-
one schools had library collections that met the minimum recommended
standard. (Pls’ (Ex. 186 at 2; Pls’ Ex. 163 at 89; Negron p. 73;
Montanez p. 20-21; Davis pp. 75-76)
207. Hartford school libraries have collections that are
extremely old. (Cloud p. 84; Pls’ Ex. 163 at 69; Pls’ Ex. 395 at 2)
208. Most of Hartford’s school libraries are physically
substandard and cannot even accommodate a full class of students.
(Wilson pp. 10-11; Griffin p. 91)
209. The libraries are lacking important media equipment, or
the equipment they have is broken. (Wilson P.ild)
210. Library books and periodicals are particularly important
in a community such as Hartford where many parents are unable to
supply such materials in the home. (Natriello Pp. 128)
E. Plants and Facilities
211. The Hartford schools are seriously overcrowded. Hartford
elementary schools operate at 133% of preferred capacity, the middle
schools at 106% and the high schools at 107%. (Pls’ Bx. 163 at 75)
212. There are approximately 123 portable classroom units in
use in Hartford. (Senteio p. 16; Pls’ Ex. 163 at 75)
iY
213. Throughout the system, rooms are being used as general-
‘purpose classrooms that were not intended for such use. (Senteio p.
17; Neumann-Johnson I p. 160)
214. Many Hartford elementary schools do not have separate
cafeterias. (Senteio p. 17)
215. In many schools, specialized art and music classrooms are
unavailable because of lack of space. (Senteio p. 18; Anderson p.
120-121)
216. Of Hartford's twenty six elementary schools, only four
meet all state codes. (Senteio p. 16)
217. Some Hartford elementary schools have no outside
playground space. (Montanez p. 17; Negron I p. 70; Cloud pp. 81,
85)
218. The space where the children play is without any
playground equipment. (Cloud p. 91)
219. In several schools, gymnasium space is inadequate or
unavailable. (Cloud p. 83; Montanez pp. 16-17)
220. Many of the district’s schools are in need of serious
repair (Senteio p. 16; Cloud p. 81)
221. There are serious deficiencies in buildings throughout
the system. (Pls’ Ex. 153, pp. 5-11, "Hartford Public Schools Space
Utilization Study 1991-2001," Defs’ Ex. 2.24, 2.27; Calvert p. 83-
85.)
222. Hartford is frequently forced, for budgetary reasons, to
defer major maintenance, such as roof repair, until the problem
becomes critical (Senteio pp. 14-15; LaFontaine I pp. 134).
223. Some of the substandard physical conditions at Hartford
schools include peeling paint, leaky roofs, antiquated bathrooms
without doors on the stalls or toilet paper, broken sinks, rusty
water, broken windows, and faulty electrical systems (Cloud pp. 81,
103; Montanez p. 18; Carso p. 112; Hernandez p. 44).
224. The 1992 bonding proposal addressed only one phase of
Hartford’s serious building needs. (Haig at 62.)
F. Bilingual Education
225. The number of children eligible for bilingual education
in Hartford has steadily increased for the past ten years (except
for a minor decrease from 1988-89 to 1989-90) and in 1990, there
were more than 4,600 children eligible for bilingual education.
‘{Defs’ Bx, 12.26 at 2)
226. Hartford’s bilingual education program currently serves
approximately 6,000 students per year (Marichal p. 11).
227. 92% of the students served by Hartford's bilingual
education program in 1990-91 were Hispanic. (Defs’ Bx. 13.6 at 5)
228. 42.5% of the state’s bilingual education students were in
Hartford. (Defs’ Ex. 12.24 at 5)
229. In 1989-90, Connecticut’s bilingual education programs
served 12,795 students, a 5.1% increase over 1988-89: 94% of the
program participants were dominate in Spanish. (Defs’ Ex. 13.6 at
3)
230. In 1989-90 districts reported approximately 984 full-time
equivalent (FTE) staff members in bilingual education programs, 16
fewer than in 1988-89; nine fewer teachers and 6.5 fewer aides.
(Defs’ Bx. 12.24 at 5)
231. From 1990 to 1993, there were no evaluations of the
bilingual program. (Marichal p. 32)
232. In a grant submitted to the United States Department of
Education in November 1991, the State Department of Education
acknowledged that the State was limited in its ability to
appropriately evaluate bilingual education programs. (Pls. Ex. 438
p- 24)
233. In 1990-91, 8% of the bilingual program students were
designated as needing special education and 19% were considered
"mobile." (Defs. Ex. 13.6 at 15)
234. The vast majority of these students are enrolled in a
program for native Spanish speakers (Marichal p. 12).
235. Because of fiscal constraints, fifty percent of the
students who are limited English proficient are combined with
students who are in a bilingual program, creating increased stress
on the teachers. (Marichal pp. 16-17)
236. The Hartford bilingual education program has insufficient
funding to purchase up-to-date and appropriate texts and other
instructional materials. (Marichal pp. 20-21)
237. Some bilingual students are using books from the 1950s.
{Marichal p. 21).
238. There is insufficient money available for bilingual
‘teacher training. (Marichal p. 20)
233. The Hartford bilingual program has only about one full-
time administrator per 70 teachers (Marichal p. 32), as compared
with a 1987 Task Force report which recommended one full-time
administrator with qualifications in bilingual education or ESL for
every 15 to 29 teachers. (Marichal p. 32)
240. The state-wide ratio of administrators to program staff
was 1-to-76.3, as compared to 1-to-72.5 the previous year. The
ratio ranges from 1-to-8.3 in Danbury to 1-to-139 in Hartford, where
3.5 administrators oversee the work of 351 teachers, 67 teacher
aides, 62.5 support staff, and 2.5 clerks." (Defs’ Ex. 12.24 at 7)
241. Many principals have no training in bilingual education,
making it difficult to adequately supervise the bilingual teachers.
{Marichal p. 33)
242. Between 30 and 35 percent of Hartford's bilingual
students are currently testing at remedial levels (Marichal p. 29).
243. Remedial services for students deemed limited English
proficient do not meet the need. Additional bilingual remediation
is needed to enable eligible students to receive remedial services
in their native language. (Marichal P- 29; Defs’ Bx. 2.18 p. 22)
244. The needs of remedial students in bilingual programs in
the upper elementary grades are also not being met. (Pls’ Ex. 439
Pp. 3)
245. There is an insufficient alternative program for
bilingual children who have high mobility. (Marichal p. 29)
246. There is insufficient funding for monitoring and
evaluation of the needs of children in the bilingual program.
{Marichal p. 53)
247. A 1987 task force that reported to the Commissioner of
Education advised that $947 in state funding per pupil should be
spent to implement state-mandated bilingual programs. (Marichal p.
22)
248. The current state contribution for bilingual programs to
Hartford is only about $190 per pupil -- only 20 percent of the recommended level (Marichal p. 22; Pls’ Exs. 48, 416).
249. The state contribution to bilingual education in 1989-90
was $2.2 million, or 4.4% of the estimated total program
expenditures. This figure is 1.6% lower than the total amount
34 i
reported in 1988-89. On average, the state contributed $169 for
each child in a bilingual education program, $14 less than in 1987-
BB. (Defs’ Ex. 13.6 at 5)
250. Districts reported that ‘local’ funds (including
Education Const Sharing funds) continued to support most of the
program costs ($37.2 million, or 75.2%). Funding from other state
and federal sources (Special Education, Chapter 1, etc.) was $10.1
million, or 20.4%... (Defs’ Ex. 12.24 at 5)
251. The proportion of funds accounted for by state bilingual
education program grants to local districts has dropped since 1985.
In 1985-86 it was 5.5%, in 1986-87 it was 5.3%, and in 1987-88 it
was 4.8%. ‘(Defs’ Bx. 12.24 at 8)
252. Funding for the Hartford bilingual program has remained
generally constant, despite inflation and rising student enrollment
(Marichal p. 26).
353. The differential cost (cost specific for Hartford’s
bilingual education program) for bilingual education in Hartford is
about $680 per pupil, which is about four times the state
contribution to bilingual education programs in Connecticut. (Pls.
Ex. 443 p. 11)
G. Special Needs Programs
254. Pre-school programs are important for preparing poor
children to succeed in elementary school (Dickens pp. 150-51)
255. Only 600 out of 2,300 four year olds receive preschool
(Slavin p. 36).
256. Educational programs for special needs children like the
"Success for All" program have proven successful in educating
special-needs students (Slavin pp. 14, 22).
257. The Success for All program has never been implemented in
Connecticut. (Slavin p. 20)
258. Several successful but now defunct programs that helped
. to address the special needs of Hartford students: the Bridge
Program (Senteio p. 14), the "Abracadabra" program (Wilson pp. 16-
17), the HESI program (Wilson p. 19), the Higher Horizons program
(Wilson p. 18), and a special teacher training program for new
teachers (Wilson p. 10). These programs were eliminated due to lack
of funding. (Wilson pp. 16-19)
259. Hartford's few special needs programs affect only a very
small proportion of the total numbers within the Hartford system.
-28
Hartford has been consistently unable to expand or sustain such
‘programs. (Wilson pp. 18-19)
260. the Comer program is a school development program in
limited use in the Hartford school system which has proven very
successful in mitigating the effects of poverty which interfere with
children’s educational success. (Haig at 63-64)
261. The Comer program is present in only seven of thirty-
three schools. Haig at 63-64.
262. The Comer Program cannot be expanded due to staffing cuts
and other fiscal constraints. (Haig at 63-64)
263. The Family Resource Center is established in only one
school in Hartford, and is a model for schools serving large number
of disadvantaged children. (Defs’ Br. p. 96)
264. The Family Resource Center is funded by the State
Department of Human Resources and offers an array of school based
services including adult education, day-care, adolescent improvement
programs and parenting school training. (Defs’ Br. P. 96)
265. Programs such as Family Resource Centers assist students
by providing pre-school remediation for health and other problems
which adversely affect the ability of students to learn once they
begin school. (Negron at 81-2)
266. The Family Resource Center is "severely strapped" because
of state funding. (Negron at 81.)
267. The Classical Magnet program at Quirk includes only 115
students out of 1,417 total (Calvert at 110-111).
H. The Effects of Recent Budget Cuts.
268. The deficiencies of the Hartford school system have been
exacerbated by budget cutbacks. In the 1992-93 school year, over
100 staff positions were cut, including 40 teachers, and a wide
range of support positions, including nurses and other health staff,
social workers and psychologists, administrators, and custodians
(Pls. Ex. 423; Kennelly pp. 63-66).
269. In the same year, over one million dollars in non-staff
budgetary cuts were made, including reductions in planned
maintenance expenditures, after-school programs, athletics, and
textbook acquisition (Pls’ Ex. 424).
DE
270. Similar, but less severe cuts, were made in 1990 and 1991
‘(Kennelly pp. 71-72), none of which have been restored (Kennelly Pp.
723).
272. Hartford's reading programs have lost all 31 reading
consultants in the system (Senteio p. 14; Haig p. 60). As a result,
no one is available to test students or determine their reading
level or the appropriate reading instructional materials for them
(Carso p 105; Montanez p. 22).
272. The Hartford School District has had to eliminate needed
guidance counsellor positions (Dickens pp. 153-54), which prevented
the Hartford schools from providing the kind of day-to-day guidance,
categorization of students, and career guidance that they should
provide (Dickens pp. 153-154; Noel p. 31-32; Haig p. 60).
273. Cuts in administrative staff have also created
difficulties in coordination (Griffin p. 89) and supervision (Haig
P. 60; Shea pp. 121, 128).
274. The loss of teaching staff limits the options available
to students (Shea p. 123).
275. The loss of paraprofessionals interferes with the ability
of teachers to individualize instruction (Shea p. 124).
276. Custodial cuts mean that grass grows higher and graffiti
stays up longer (Shea p. 125).
277. The bilingual and ESOL programs have suffered a reduction
of six English as a Second Language teachers, a reduction since the
early 1980s from seven to three bilingual testers (Marichal pp. 23-
24), a reduction in bilingual speech-language clinicians (Pls’ Ex.
441 p. 8), and Spanish remediation positions (Pls’ Ex. 441 p. 15).
278. In deciding which programs to preserve and which to cut,
the administration has been compelled to choose the least among all
evils. (Wilson pp. 9-23)
279. Cuts have come in the wake of reduced state funding in
the amount of $600,000 (Kennelly at 63; Pls’ Ex. 423)
280. While Hartford administrators asked for an additional 90
positions, they received a cut of 108.7 positions (Kennelly at 65).
281. The school system does not have the resources to meet the
academic needs of their students. (Morris at 141; Senteio at 26)
I. Cumulative Effects of Deficient Resources
282. Over a cumulative career of a student, inadequate
textbooks, educational supplies, and other educational resources
begin to erode the quality of the educational program, making it
more difficult for students to learn and more difficult for teachers
to teach (Natriello I pp. 132-33; Table 10, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 80).
283. Dr. Natriello stated one "must look beyond some of the
surface level aggregate data," and "move down to the program level,"
to evaluate educational resources (Natriello p. 132)
284. In every category which reflects the important
programmatic resources, i.e. textbooks and instructional supplies,
library books and periodicals, equipment, and plant operation, the
average Hartford expenditures are substantially below the average
statewide expenditures of the twenty-one districts in the region.
(Pls’ Ex. 163, p...79; Natriello II p. 12).
285. The resources in the Hartford school district are
severely deficient across grade levels, and across subjects, and the
gap remains constant with no indication of improvement. (Natriello
II p. 20)
VI. EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR HARTFORD'S STUDENTS ARE DEFICIENT AND
WORSENING.
A. Connecticut Mastery Tests
286. The Connecticut Mastery Test can be used to evaluate
whether a school or district is providing a minimally adequate
education. (Pls’ Ex. 494 pp. 82-84)
287. The Connecticut Mastery Test is a high quality, criterion
referenced test that provides an important indicator of quality of
education. (Natriello pp. 136-140)
288. The Connecticut Mastery Tests (CMT) are the state’s own
measure of the quality of education in the state (Allison p. 79;
Pls’ Ex. 163 at 255-260).
; 289. Mastery tests are the "best measure" of student
achievement. (Ferrandino Deposition, Pls’ Ex. 494, P. 37)
290. The consensus on the state board is that the CMT is a
valuable tool in judging the outputs of the school systems. (Mannix
Deposition, Pls’ Ex. 495, p. 17)
291. One of the purposes of the CMT was "to provide data for
the State Board of Education and the State Department of Education
concerning the achievement of basic skills in schools in Connecticut
and to identify the relative needs of the different school districts
with respect to this problem." 21 House Procs., part 7, April 21,
1978 at 2963.
292. Proficiency testing "can be a starting point for a
broader assessment of educational equity and quality." Joint
Committee on Education, 1978 session, P. 479, March 22, 1978.
293. The CMT was intended to be used to "give the state a type
of instrument that it can use in a very positive way to truly assess
the educational condition of the state and in turn, to divert our
resources accordingly." Testimony of Tirozzi, Joint Committee on
Education, 1984 Session, p. 12 (February 27, 1984).
294. When the CMT program was expanded to 10th grade in 1990,
the role of the test in evaluating educational performance was
generally acknowledged. (See Joint Committee on Education, 1990
Session, pp. 814, 815-16, 838-39 (March 16, 1990) .)
295. Substantial numbers of Hartford students are not able to
master substantial numbers of the CMT objectives. (Natriello p.
147)
296. From 1987 to 1991, Hartford fourth graders mastered from
15.9 to 16.5 of the 25 mathematics objectives. (Figure 1, Pls. Ex.
163 at 85; Natriello p. 142)
297. From 1987 to 1991, Hartford sixth graders mastered from
16.9 to 18.3 of the 35 mathematics objectives. (Figure 2, Pls. Ex.
163 at 837)
298. From 1987 to 1991, Hartford eighth graders mastered from
17.6 to 19.3 of the 35 mathematics objectives. (Figure 3, Pls. Ex.
163 at 89)
239. For 1992, Hartford fourth graders mastered 15.8
mathematics objectives, sixth graders mastered 16.7, and eighth
graders mastered 18.1, showing no significant improvement from prior
years. (Natriello p. 144; Pls’ Ex. 503)
300. Hartford's average numbers of mathematics objectives
‘mastered were lower at all three grade levels in 1992-93 than they
were three years before, in 1989-90. (For 1992-93 figures, see Pls’
iO
Ex. A-C; for 1989-90° figures, see Pls’ Ex. 300, p. 70; Pls’ Ex.
301, p. 78; and Pls’ Ex. 302, p. 27.)
301. In 1992, Hartford fourth graders mastered 3.1 of 9
language arts objectives, sixth graders mastered 4.7 of 11
objectives, and eighth graders mastered 5.4 of the 11 objectives.
Exhibits D-F.
302. From 1987 to 1991, Hartford fourth graders mastered from
3.2 to 3.5 of the 9 language arts objectives. (Figure 7, Pls’ Ex.
163 at 97)
303. From 1987 to 1991, Hartford sixth graders mastered from
4.4 to 5.3 of the 11 language arts objectives. (Figure 8, Pls’ Ex.
163 ar 99)
304. From 1987 to 1991, Hartford eighth graders mastered from
4.7 to 5.4 of the 11 language arts objectives. (Figure 9, Pls’ Ex.
1563 at 101)
305. In 1992, Hartford fourth graders mastered 3.1 language
arts objectives, and sixth and eighth graders showed no significant
change either. (Natriello p. 149-50; Pls. Ex. 503)
306. Enormous percentages of Hartford students fail to meet
the "state goals" on the CMT. For example, 97% of Hartford
students failed to meet state goals for the 6th grade holistic
writing tests (Natriello II p. 5 }.
307. In the fourth grade, 80% of Hartford students fail to
meet the state math goal, 86% fail to meet the state goal for the
DRP reading test, and 97% fail to meet the state goal for the
holistic writing test (Natriello II Pp. 53-54; Figure 98, Pls’ Ex.
163 at 236),
308. In the sixth grade, 94% of Hartford students fail to meet
the state math goal, 80% fail to meet the state goal for the DRP
reading test, and 97% fail to meet the state goal for the holistic
writing test. (Figure 99, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 258)
309. In the eighth grade, 89% of Hartford students fail to
meet the state math goal, 76% fail to meet the state goal for the
'DRP reading test, and 82% fail to meet the state goal for the
holistic writing test. (Figure 100, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 253)
3 Exhibits A-I are exhibits, created by Dr. Natriello and
attached to the Plaintiffs’ Reply Brief. They are based on 1992-93 Mastery Test data which was introduced at trial as Pls’ Ex. 512 a-c.
- 30 -
310. The percentage of Hartford students failing to meet state
‘goals extend beyond subgroups of minority students or students in
poverty. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 260)
311. In the fourth, sixth, and eighth grades, 58% of
non-minority students in Hartford fell below the state goal for
math, 47% for reading, and 84% for writing. {(Pls’ Ex. 163 at 250
and Figure 101 at 261)
312. In the fourth, sixth, and eighth grades, 81% of the
non-poor (free and reduced lunch) students in Hartford fell below
the state goal for math, 70% for reading, and 89% for writing.
(Pls’ Ex. 163 at 261-262 and Figure 102)
313. Large numbers of Hartford students are not able to meet
the remedial standards on the CMT. (Exhibits M-0O; Pls’ Ex. 163 at
251-254, Figures 95-97)
314. In mathematics, 41% of 4th graders, 42% of 6th graders,
and 41% of 8th graders in Hartford fail to perform up to even the
state's remedial standards (Natriello II p. 55; Figures 95-97, Pls’
Ex. 163 at 251-53)
315. In reading, the results are even worse: 64% not meeting
remedial standards in 4th grade, 62% in 6th grade, and 55% in 8th
grade. (Natriello II p. 55; Figures 95-97, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 251-53)
316. In writing, 31% of 4th graders, 37% of 6th graders, and
15% of eighth graders fail to perform up to even the states remedial
standards. (Figures 95-97, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 251-53)
317. Exhibits A-O attached to Pls’ Reply Brief are an accurate
update of Dr. Natriello’s original charts on Pp. 85, 87, 89, 97, 99,
101, 198-99, 201, 203-04, 206, 251, 253-54 of his report with the
92-93 data already introduced at trial.
318. The 1992-93 data show increasing numbers of Hartford
students who cannot even meet the very basic remedial standards on
the mastery test. (Exhibit M-O to Pls’ Reply Brief)
319. 72% of students in the fourth grade (up from 64% the year
before) 67% of sixth graders (up from 62%) and 57% of eighth graders
‘(up from 55%) are not able to reach the bare minimum levels of
performance in reading. (Exhibits M-O, Figures 95-97 to Pls’ Reply
Brief; Pls’ Ex. 163, pp. 251-54, Figures 95-97.)
320. Percentages of Hartford students not meeting remedial
standards have also increased since the previous year in fourth
grade mathematics and holistic writing and sixth grade mathematics.
RL a
(Exhibits M-0, Figures 95-96 to Pls’ Reply Brief; Pls. Ex. 163, Pp.
251-253, Figures 95-96)
321. Connecticut Mastery Test scores for Hartford and the
surrounding districts (1985-1993) are accurately set out in
plaintiffs’ exhibits 290-309, and 512.
B. Metropolitan Achievement Tests
322. Results from the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT)
indicate by the 10th grade, the average Hartford student performs
2.0 grades below grade level on the math section of the test (Pls’
Ex. 163 at 125). On the language section, the average Hartford 10th
grade student performs 1.7 grades below grade level (Pls’ Ex. 163 at
127). On the reading section, the average Hartford student performs
2.9 grades below grade level (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 128).
323. Defs. Ex. 13.10 shows that Hartford students are "falling
farther and farther behind grade level" in all three areas measured
by the MAT as they progress from second to tenth grade. (Nearine,
pp. 136-37; Pls’ Ex. 163 at 124-35; Natriello p. 161)
324. Hartford students who were in the same school for two
consecutive administrations of the MAT fell further behind grade
level in reading in seven of the eight grade levels studied.
(Nearine, pp. 139-40; Defs’ Ex. 13.11). Defs. Ex. 13.11 shows
similar results in mathematics (five of eight grades) and language
(six of the eight grades).
325. Tables 1, 3, and 5 of Defs. Ex. 2.34 show that in each of
the years from 1989 to 1992, Hartford tenth graders had lower NCE
results than Hartford first graders in each of the three areas
tested. In the language area, the difference between the first
grade NCE and the tenth grade NCE in 1992 was 18.8 points. The
overall school system average NCE scores were lower in 1992 than
they were in 1989 in all three categories tested.
326. The Hartford 1991 MAT NCE scores were lower than the 1990
scores recorded in Exs. 13.13 and 13.14 (Nearine, p. 146).
327. Hartford students tend to fall significantly further
behind national norms on the MAT by grade 9 than in grade 2.
' (Nearine, p. 143)
C . SABE
328. The Spanish Assessment of Basic Education (SABE)
demonstrates by the eighth grade, Hartford students taking this test
are 2.0 grades below their grade placement levels in the mathematics
portion (Pls. Ex. 163 at 136).
- 32 -
329. In the reading section, 8th grade students fall below the
‘grade placement levels by 3.1 grades (Pls. Ex. 163 at 138}.
330. In each instance, the test shows Hartford students
falling farther and farther behind as they progress through the
Hartford schools. (Natriello pp. 163-64)
D. Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
331. Only 56.7% of Hartford’s students actually take the SAT.
(Pls’ Ex. 163 at 228, Fig. 81; Natriello II pp. 34-35)
332. The average score of Hartford students on the SAT
mathematics section was 354; only 2% scored above 600. The average
score on the verbal section was 314; only 0.2% scored above 600.
(Pls’ Bx. 163 at 140)
333. Bilingual education program students’ gains are not
processing adequately in either English or Spanish in mathematics in
grades 7 and 8. (Defs’ Ex. 13.6 at 11)
E. Graduation and Drop-Out Rates
334. The dropout rate is a key indicator of the condition of
education. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 141)
335. Approximately one-third of the students in the Hartford
high schools drop out. This is a substantial drop out problem.
(Natriello p. 169; Pls’ Ex. 163 at 142-143; Pls’ Ex. 163 at 144-45,
Table 12)
336. Of those Hartford students who were ninth graders in
1987, only 36% stayed until the end of high school and graduated.
(Natriello p. 169-70; Table 12, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 144)
337. Hartford has inadequate programs to help prevent students
from dropping out (Shea p. 118).
338. Fewer than 30% of Hartford students attend four year
colleges in the October following graduation. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 146)
VII. INTERDISTRICT COMPARISONS DEMONSTRATE ENORMOUS DISPARITIES IN
EDUCATIONAL, RESOURCES BETWEEN HARTFORD AND SUBURBAN SCHOOLS.
339. Disparities in educational resources between Hartford and
the suburbs represent yet another layer of inequity facing Hartford
school children who are already burdened by racial and economic
isolation (Orfield I p. 138).
=33
340. The State Board of Education has stated that progress in
‘achieving equal educational opportunity can be measured by comparing
resources available to resources needed. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 233-33;
Pls’ Bx. 39; Pls’ Ex 43; Natriello II at 41-42)
341. Hartford students are receiving fewer resources in
relation to their needs than students in surrounding districts.
(Pls’ Bx. 183 at 233)
342. The concentration of "at-risk" children in Hartford
classrooms overwhelms the normal teaching process (Dudley pp. 126-
27; Anderson p. 113). In comparison, the education process can be
conducted with relative ease in non-poverty-concentrated schools
(Pitocco pp. 65-66; Dudley p. 128; Pls’ Ex. 494 at 61-62).
343. Hartford has the lowest stability rate at the elementary
level in comparison to other districts {Natriello II. p. 6).
344. Although Hartford’s net expenditures per pupil appear
relatively high, when the net current expenditures per "need
student" of Hartford and the surrounding suburbs is compared,
Hartford ranks fifteenth among the twenty-two Hartford area
districts and 69th among all school districts in Connecticut,
leaving Hartford at a disadvantage compared to other school
districts in the area.
{Pls’ Bx. 163 at 157, 181; Natriello II Pp. 8,10
345. Many of the budget comparisons between Hartford and
surrounding communities understate the disparities since they look
at overall budget and ignore the greater needs of the Hartford
students. (Natriello II pp. 9-10)
A. Staffing and Curriculum
346. It costs the Hartford school district more money to hire
and retain staff than it does in the surrounding districts. (Pls’
Ex. 163 at 178 and Figure 49; Natriello II pp. 17-18)
347. Greater personnel costs in the Hartford schools as
compared with suburban districts are not a result of differences in
the quantity of staff available, or of lower class sizes. {(Pls’' Ex.
163 at 55, 58; Natriello p. 111, 115)
348. Greater personnel costs in the Hartford schools are a
result of higher salaries, but those higher salaries do not mean
greater resources for the students. Hartford is spending more but
purchasing less. (Natriello p. 115)
349. All but two of the 22 surrounding districts have greater
percentages of teachers trained as mentors, assessors and
cooperating teachers. (Figure 40, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 167; Natriello II
Pe 14)
350. Hartford has many fewer teachers trained as mentors,
assessors, or cooperating teachers (11.5%) than other Connecticut
districts (18.6% statewide). (Table 4, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 53)
351. Hartford does not have more teachers, instructional
specialists, counselors, social workers, administrators, or
certified staff per pupil than the 22 surrounding districts.
(Figures 41-45, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 169-73; Natriello II Pp. 15-16)
352. All of the 22 surrounding districts have substantiallv
higher percentages of teachers with masters degree than Hartfor?.
(Pls’ Ex. 163 at 165 and Figure 39 at 166; Natriello II P+ 13)
353. In the middle schools, Hartford has fewer hours of
instruction than twenty of the twenty-one surrounding districts.
(Figure 47, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 176; Natriello II pp. 16-17)
354. In the high schools, Hartford has fewer hours of
instruction than all of the surrounding districts, with three
districts offering over 11% more instructional time than Hartford.
(Figure 47, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 176; Natriello II Pp. 16-17)
355. All but one of the high schools in the three comparison
communities offers more language instruction than any high school in
Hartford and that one high school offers more language instruction
than two of the three Hartford high schools. (Natriello II at 20;
Figure 50, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 182.)
B. Pupil and Instructional Services
356. Hartford offers fewer hours of instruction than the state
average, a disparity that in the high school years amounts to a
difference of 905 hours versus 970. (Table 8, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 67;
Natriello p. 122)
357. Expenditures for purchased personnel services that are
not part of payroll (such as teaching assistants, medical doctors,
curriculum consultants, therapists and psychologists) are
dramatically lower in Hartford than in other districts in the region
and lower than the state-wide average. (Natriello 11 p. 18;
Natriello p. 116-17; Pls’ Ex. 163 at 63; Table 14, Pls’ Ex. 163 at
164; Natriello II, pp. 11-12, 18)
358. Because the time spent on instruction does make a
difference in learning, Hartford students are disadvantaged by the
Hartford schools compared to other students in the state and in surrounding communities. (Natriello p. 122)
C. Textbook and Instructional Supplies
359. Over the three years from 1988-89 through 1990-91,
Hartford spent an average of $78 per pupil on textbooks and
instructional supplies as compared to the state-wide average of $148
during the same time period. The twenty-two surrounding districts
spent an average of $159 per pupil, over twice as much as spent by
Hartford. (Pls’ Ex. 163 ar 164, Table 14; Natriello II pp. 11-12)
D. Library Books and Periodicals
360. Hartford spent an average of $5 per pupil on [library
books and periodicals] over the three year period from 1988-91, and
the twenty-two surrounding districts spent, on average, $18 for the
three years -- a "dramatic difference" (Neuman-Johnson II pp. 6-7:
Griffin pp. 90, 97; Wilson p. 10-12).
361. Hartford's expenditures on library books and periodicals
was also less than 1/3 of the state-wide average. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at
68)
362. The Hartford figure is less than 28% of the average of
the 22 surrounding communities. (Natriello II Pp 11-12, 21)
363. According to the Connecticut State Department of
Education, Bureau of Grants Services, over a five year period from
1986-87 through 1990-91, there was a wide disparity in expenditures
for library books and materials between Hartford and the suburbs
with Hartford acquiring an average of 4 books per pupil and the
suburbs acquiring 16 or four times that amount. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at
70)
364. Failing to spend sufficient money on library books and
periodicals has a cumulative effect over years, causing increasingly
less adequate libraries. (Natriello p. 126; Pls’ Ex. 163 at 68)
B. Equipment
365. Hartford spent less on equipment ($25) than the statewide
average ($91) or than the three comparison communities ($109-115) or
than the 22 surrounding communities ($37). (Natriello II pp. 11-12;
Table 14, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 164)
366. Hartford lacks foreign language laboratory facilities in
comparison to Glastonbury, West Hartford and Farmington. (Natriello
11 pp. 19, 20)
367. In general, Hartford schools have fewer computers per
pupil than the three comparison communities. (Pls’ Px. 163 at
184-189; Natriello II pp. 22-23)
- 36 =
368. For the three year period beginning 1988-89, average per
‘pupil expenditure for equipment, meaning items with an expected
useful life of more than one year, was $25 for Hartford and the
statewide average was over $90. Hartford thus had less than 28% of
the average state expenditures. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 71; Natriello P-
127)
3689. Hartford students have substantially less access to
computers than students elsewhere in the state with, for example,
17.7 K-6 elementary students per computer statewide and 45.8
students per computer in Hartford. (Table 9, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 72;
Natriello p. 127)
370. Dr. Natriello observed many fewer computers in Hartford
than in Glastonbury. (Natriello p. 128)
PF. Plant Operation
371. Hartford spent less on plant operations ($162) than the
statewide average ($266) or than the three comparison communities
($201-300) or than the 22 surrounding communities ($272).
(Natriello II p. 11-12, 23; Table 14, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 164)
372. Hartford schools have fewer specialized facilities such
as art rooms, auditoriums, cafeterias, gymnasia and music rooms than
the three comparison communities. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 191 and Figures
55-58 at 192-195)
373. For the three year period beginning 1988-89, Hartford
expenditures on plant operations were only 60.8% of those spent
statewide. (Natriello p. 129; Pls’ Ex. 163 at 74)
374. For 1990-91, per pupil expenditures for plant operation
and maintenance in the Hartford schools were $79 or more than 10%
less than the average amount spent statewide. {Pls’ Ex. 163 at 75)
375. For 1990-91, per pupil expenditures for land, buildings
and debt service were $210 in Hartford but the average was $351
statewide. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 75)
VIII. INTERDISTRICT COMPARISONS REVEAL ENORMOUS DISPARITIES IN
EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES BETWEEN HARTFORD AND SUBURBAN TOWNS.
376. Hartford performance levels are uniformly and
substantially below average performance levels of students in all
other districts (Natriello II pp. 26, 29).
377. Hartford students perform less well, in many cases
substantially so, than students statewide in all four CMT subjects,
in every subarea, on every objective, on each grade level, and for
=~ 37.
all five years of testing. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 123-24; Natriello, p.
156)
378. The disparities between CMT scores of Hartford students
and those statewide, by the eighth grade, understates the
differences because many more of the Hartford eighth graders will be
older than their normal peer group. (Natriello pp. 153-54)
379. The disparities between CMT scores of Hartford students
and those statewide understates the differences because many more
Hartford students do not take the test. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 117-124)
380. Given the deficits in resources in Hartford, it is not
surprising that there are deficits in outcomes. (Natriello p. 173)
381. The Hartford school system is not able to produce
outcomes comparable to statewide results. (Natriello p. 142-43)
382. The State Board of Education has stated that outcomes
should not depend on a child’s race, sex or place of residence.
(Pls’ Ex. 163 at 233, 247, Pls’ Ex. 39; Pls’ Ex. 43; Natriello II at
43)
A. Connecticut Mastery Tests
383. Hartford students who took the Connecticut Mastery Test
in math uniformly mastered fewer objectives than did the students in
the surrounding districts. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 197-201 and Figures
59-61, Exhibits G-I; Natriello II at 27)
384. In 1992, Hartford students at all three grades also
scored substantially lower on the CMT math test than the statewide
average. (Exhibits A-C)
385. This pattern of poorer achievement on the CMT by Hartford
students is essentially the same for the reading and writing
portions of the test. (Natriello II pp. 27-29; Exhibits J-L)
386. In 1992, Hartford students at all three grades also
scored substantially lower on the CMT language arts test than the
statewide average. (Exhibits D-F)
387. In comparison to the surrounding twenty-one districts,
Hartford students scored the lowest average number of objectives
mastered in both mathematics and language arts in all three grade
levels (Pls’ Reply Brief, Exs. G-L; Revised Natriello Report,
Figures 59-64; Natriello II p. 29)
388. Hartford students scored in the lowest range of average
scores on the CMT in all grades in math, in all grades in language
30.
arts, in all grades in DRP, and in two of the three grades in
‘holistic writing. (Figures 83-94, Pls’ Ex. 163 at 235-46; Natriello
II, p. 44-48)
389. Data from the 1992 mastery test scores show that Hartford
students’ performance on the CMT in comparison to the state average
actually declined from the previous year in the number of
mathematics objectives mastered, (Exhibit A, Fourth grade- Figure 1;
Exhibit B, Sixth Grade- Figure 2;) and the number of language arts
objectives mastered (Fourth Grade- Figure 7; Exhibit D, Sixth Grade-
Figure 8).%
390. The DRP (Degrees of Reading Power) portion of the CMT
measures the ability of students to read and understand material at
various levels. (Natriello p. 149)
391. Hartford fourth, sixth and eighth graders consistently
performed at levels significantly below the statewide average in the
DRP portion of the CMT test from 1987 to 1992. (Figures 13-15, Pls’
Ex. 163 at 107-09; Natriello pp. 150-51; Pls’ Ex. 503)
392. The Holistic Scores portion of the CMT measures written
products on the basis of their overall quality. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at
110)
393. Hartford fourth, sixth, and eighth graders consistently
performed at levels significantly below the statewide average in the
Holistic Scores portion of the CMT test from 1987 to 1992. (Pls’
Ex. 163 at 110-13 and Figures 16-18; Pls’ Ex. 503)
B. Credits Earned
394. Hartford students consistently earn fewer credits than
most of their suburban counterparts (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 214-223;
Natriello II p. 30-32).
395, Hartford students earn fewer credits than the state
average, especially in courses for college credit. (Table 8, Pls’
Ex. 163 at 67; Natriello pp. 123-26)
396. Only 2.4% of Hartford's students earn college credits in
‘high school courses for college credit. In the surrounding suburbs,
as many as 43.7% of the students earn these credits, and the lowest,
East Granby, has a rate more than three times that of Hartford.
(Pls’ Bx. 163 at 222, Fig. 717)
- 3g
397. The credits earned comparisons overstate Hartford’s
‘success because they ignore the higher dropout rate in Hartford.
(Pls’ Ex. 163 at 214; Natriello II pp. 29-30)
Ce. Scholastic Aptitude Test Scores
398. Hartford students do substantially worse on the SAT than
other Connecticut students (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 140).
399. The differences between statewide SAT scores and Hartford
SAT scores understates the actual differences given the percentage
of students who take the test. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 141)
D. Graduation and Drop-Out Rates
400. The drop-out rate for Hartford schools is substantially
greater than for Connecticut public schools in general. {(Pls’ Ex.
163 at 142, 144, 145)
401. Approximately 640 Hartford students dropped out in 1992
compared to only about 23 students dropping out of West Hartford’s
high schools (Shea p. 117).
402. Graduation rates for Blacks and Hispanic students
statewide are significantly lower than for white students. In fact,
generally the graduation rate for white students has steadily
increased, whereas the rates for Black and Hispanic students have
fluctuated. (Pls’ Ex. 77 p. 27)
403. Connecticut's total 77.7% graduation rate (the proportion
of ninth graders who graduate from high school) ranked among the
highest in the nation. The graduation rate for Black students
(62.2%) and Hispanic students (51.1%) continue to be "unacceptably
low" and below the rate of white students (82.3%). (Pls’' Ex. 79 p.
33; Pls’ Ex. 84 p. 8)
B. Patterns of Post-Secondary Education and Work Activities.
404. Hartford students were more likely than students
statewide to be unemployed after graduation. (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 147)
405. Hartford has the highest number of graduates neither
employed or in higher education (Pls’ Ex. 163 at 230, Fig. 82).
IX. DEFENDANTS HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVELY INVOLVED IN THE MAINTENANCE ====otlt oy evs Soh Sabin volX INVOLVED IN 10k MAINTENANCE,
ENFORCEMENT, AND OVERSIGHT OF SEGREGATED, UNEQUAL EDUCATION IN
THE HARTFORD AREA.
406. The duty of providing for the education of Connecticut
school children, through the support and maintenance of public
schools, has always been deemed a governmental duty resting upon the
‘sovereign state. (Defs’ Rev. Answer 167)
A. The Early History of State Control Over Education.
407. The statutory mission of the State Board of Education is
the responsibility to ensure that each child shall have an equal
opportunity to receive a suitable program of educational
experiences. (Defs’ Ex. 3.1 p. 2)
408. Christopher Collier, a professor of history at the
University of Connecticut and the official State Historian for the
state of Connecticut, is an expert in Connecticut and American
history. (Pls’ Ex. 284; Collier Pp. 2-6)
409. Since the time of its founding as a colony, under the
auspices of Massachusetts, the towns have not been autonomous.
(Collier pp. 7, 53)
410. During the course of Connecticut history, the State of
Connecticut has delegated authority to towns, societies and
districts to administer education but the control of education and
policymaking has always remained with the State. (Collier pp. 24-
25)
411. Throughout most of Connecticut’s history, the state has
delegated administrative responsibility for education to entities
other than the towns. (Collier p. 54)
412. During the Eighteenth Century, the General Assembly of
the State of Connecticut assigned the responsibility for providing education to parishes, or ecclesiastical societies, the boundaries
of which were not generally coterminous with town boundaries.
(Collier p. 19)
413. At the end of the Eighteenth Century, state funds for
education were channeled to independent entities called school
societies, the boundaries of which were at first coterminous with
parishes. (Collier p. 20)
414. During the first half of the Nineteenth Century, the
General Assembly of the State of Connecticut assigned responsibility ‘for providing education to small corporate entities called districts, the boundaries of which were not generally coterminous with towns. (Collier p. 21)
415. Districts in the Nineteenth Century had their own school committees and were delegated the power to tax, hire teachers and establish textbooks, among other things. (Collier at 61)
416. School district boundaries in the Nineteenth Century
crossed town lines. (Collier p. 22)
417. By the late Nineteenth Century more than two hundred
school districts crossed town lines. (Collier p. 22)
418. During the early Nineteenth Century, there were separate
public schools for Black children in the state of Connecticut,
including two schools for African American children in Hartford.
(Collier at 47)
419. During the second half of the Nineteenth Century and the
first decade of the Twentieth Century, the General Assembly of the
State of Connecticut passed legislation to encourage the
consolidation of districts under the auspices of towns in order to
improve the condition of the schools. (Collier Pp. 27-28, 39)
420. The schools in Hartford continued under a district system
until approximately 1940. (Collier p. 29)
421. Even after districts were consolidated, many of
Connecticut’s public school students crossed town lines to attend
high schools. (Collier pp. 31, 40)
422. In the 1930s, the state established a system of regional
high schools to meet the needs of students in rural areas. These
regional high schools crossed town lines. {Collier p. 30)
423. Students in the Hartford metropolitan area crossed
district lines to attend public high school in Hartford. (Collier
pp. 40-41)
B. State Involvement After 1940.
424. The state requires school district lines be coterminous
with town boundaries (C.G.S. § 10-240).
425. The state requires that children attend school within
their school district where they reside (C.G.S. § 10-184).
426. The maintenance of the system whereby school district
lines are coterminous with towns contributes to the racial and
“ethnic segregation of students within the schools. (Collier at 53)
427. Between 1950 and 1980, defendants approved and funded the
construction of over 100 new schools in virtually all-white suburban
communities, representing over 50% of total enrollment in the
Hartford region (Pls’ Exs. 156, pls’ exs. 150, 151, 112)
ARE
428. Between 1950 and 1980, defendants also funded a ma jor
expansion of school «capacity in the increasingly racially
concentrated and poverty concentrated schools in the Hartford school
district. (Id.)
429. Defendants have extensive approval authority over new
schools built, and [during the period from 1950-1980] have
reimbursed local districts for between 50%-80% of total construction
costs (Gordon, pp. 133, 135-36; Pls’ exs. 142, 143, 160)
430. Defendants have continued to approve funding and oversee
the construction or expansion of segregated single district schools
since 1980 (see Pls’ Exs. 142, 143, 160; §§10-282, et seq.).
431. State school construction policies and zoning regulations
also contribute to the racial and ethnic segregation of students
within the schools. (Collier at 53)
432. Residential segregation has occurred, at least in part,
as a result of discriminatory treatment of African Americans,
including discriminatory treatment by public officials. (Collier at
45)
433. Defendant State Board of Education has "general
supervision and control [over] the educational interests of the
state," §10-4, and exercises broad supervision over schools
throughout the State.
434. Defendants require students who do not meet State
standards to continue to take the examinations until they meet or
exceed expected performance levels. See id.
X. THE STATE HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE HARMS OF RACIAL AND ECONOMIC
ISOLATION IN THE SCHOOLS, AND THE SERIOUS INEQUITIES FACING
CITY SCHOOLCHILDREN, AND HAS REPEATEDLY FAILED TO TAKE ACTION
TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.
A. Defendants Have Admitted that Racial Segregation is
Harmful.
435. Defendant Commissioner Vincent Ferrandino and former
Commissioner Gerald Tirozzi acknowledged the harms of racial
‘segregation (Pls’ Ex. 493 at 35, 39, 138-139; Pls’ Ex. 494 at 11-
12).
436. Commissioner Tirozzi admitted that both he and the State
Board of Education had been aware of the harmful effects of racial
segregation during his tenure as Commissioner (Pls’ Ex. 494 at 11-
12; Williams pp. 81-82)
43
437. Commissioner Ferrandino agreed that racial and economic
‘integration would improve educational achievement in Hartford (Pls’
Ex. 493 at 138-139).
438. The State of Connecticut has stated that "segregation is
educationally, morally and legally wrong" (Defs’ Ex. 12.5; Pls’ Ex.
50).
439. The state has found that "a multicultural environment is
an irreplaceable component of quality education" {Defs’ Ex. 12.29;
Pls’ Ex. 60).
440. In their 1988 report on quality integrated education,
defendants concluded that:
[S]eparation means that neither [minority children] nor
their counterparts in the more affluent suburban school
districts have the chance to learn to interact with each
other, as they will inevitably have to do as adults living
and working in a multi-cultural society. Such interaction
is a most important element of quality education, and it
benefits both minority and non-minority students alike.
Like their counterparts in predominantly minority schools,
children in suburban districts lack cultural diversity as
they are educated and prepared to be members of society.
(Defs’ Ex. 12.5).
441. The Governor's Commission found that the goal of "quality
and integrated education" currently is blocked by increasing racial
isolation. (Pls’ Bx. 73, at 3)
B. Defendants Have Long Been Aware That Concentration of
Poverty Has a Harmful Impact on the Educational Process.
442. In 1989, the Department of Education acknowledged the
effect of poverty concentration on achievement and other educational
outcomes, concluding that "low achievement outcomes associated with
poverty are intensified by geographic and racial concentrations.
(Pls’ Bx. 60 at 1; Orfield I P: 59; Orfield II pp. 117, 121-122,
124-26; Pls’ Ex. 493 at 36; Pls’ Ex. 494 at 58, 67-69)
443. Numerous other of defendants’ own internal documents
admit the harmful effects of poverty concentration. (Pls’ Ex. 70 at
17; Pls* Ex. 4585)
444. The former commissioners of the State Department of
Education acknowledged harmful effects of poverty concentration.
(Pls’ Ex. 493 at 36, 40; Pls’ Ex. 494 at 67-69)
- 44
445. Defendant Ferrandino stated, "[w]e believe that by
breaking down racial isolation and by eliminating the concentrations
of poverty we should see improved student achievement." (Defs’ Ex.
514; Williams pp. 81-82)
igh Defendants Have Been Aware of the Other Severe Educational
Inequities Facing Schoolchildren in the City of Hartford
Including Disparities in Student Resources and Outcomes.
446. Defendants acknowledged in a report entitled "Report of
the Governor, Measuring Connecticut’s Progress Toward Meeting The
National Education Goals," October 2, 1991 (Pls. Ex. .79) that:
a. "[w]hen compared by income level, the CMT results show
significant performance differences. Students in poverty conditions
(1.e., very poor and poor students) are experiencing severe academic
deficiencies as compared to all other students." (Dp. 12)
b. "The CMT results by race/ethnicity continue to show
large differences between white and minority students. The largest
differences are in the percentage of white students scoring at or
above the goal and the percentages of black and Hispanic students
scoring at or above the goal." (p.l12) See also P- 34.
C. As to the performance on the National Assessment of
Education Progress (NAEP) in mathematics, "Connecticut students from
disadvantaged urban areas had average scores (237) significantly
lower than their national counterparts (249). This seems to reflect
the concentration of poverty in Connecticut’s cities, which include
two of the poorest communities in the nation." {P."15)
d. As to performance on the NAEP, "[m]any more white
students reached relatively high levels of performance compared with
black and Hispanic students. For example, while 23 percent of white
students in Connecticut were proficient in the understandings
expected of eighth graders, 3 percent of black students and 2
percent of Hispanic students were proficient in these
understandings." (p. 16)
e. "White students accounted for 83 percent of the
Connecticut SAT test-takers and outscored all other racial/ethnic
groups on the verbal test. Asian Americans outscored all other
groups on the mathematics test." {p. 17)
447. Defendants have been aware of the widening gap between
1987 and 1990 in the performance level of minority and nonminority
students in the mastery tests:
a. In a report entitled "Meeting the Challenge 1990/91
(Pls’ Ex. 77 p.62), defendants acknowledged that the "differences in
performance on the Ct. Mastery Test between white and minority
‘students failed to narrow between 1987 (the baseline year for
collection of data by race/ethnicity) and 1989.
b. In a report entitled "Indicators of Success" issued by
Defendant State Board of Education in 1992, (Pls’' Ex. 84) defendants
acknowledged that the "differences in performance on the Connecticut
Mastery Test between white and diverse students widened between 1989
and 1990." (p. 7)
448. Defendant Commissioner of Education acknowledged that
"student achievement in urban settings is not on the level of
student achievement statewide and is showing no sign of closing the
gap." These trends from 1992 mastery test data indicated that they
exist in each content area and are evident both in relation to the
statewide goal and the remedial standard. (Pls’ Ex. 5124)
449. Defendants acknowledged that there are "clear differences
in the graduation rate by race, with the rate for black and Hispanic
students significantly lower than that for white students." {Pls
Ex. 77 p. 27; Pls’ Ex. 79 p. 10) They have acknowledged that these
rates are "unacceptably low." (Pls’ Ex. 79)
450. In 1991, defendants acknowledged that "the relative low
achievement of students in urban communities is a growing concern."
(Pls’ Ex. 77 at viii)
451. Defendants have also acknowledged that there are "notable
disparities in the number of minority and nonminority students who
pursue further education after high school." {(Pls’ Ex. 77 pp. 28-
29; Pls’ Ex. 74 pp. 2-4)
452. Despite Connecticut’s commitment to provide equal
educational opportunity for all of its students, the Governor's
Commission found inequalities persisting, particularly for those in
urban schools. (Pls’ Ex. 73, at 6)
453. The Governor's Commission observed that a significant
underrepresentation of minority students exists in higher-level
courses while overrepresentation of minority students can be found
in remedial classes. (Pls’ Ex. 73, at 6)
454. The Governor's Commission also found that "other
indicators suggest that Connecticut’s minority students have yet to
receive full equal educational opportunities. For example, the
widespread use of tracking and ability grouping persists, despite
the compelling studies that show these practices inhibit student
achievement, particularly for minority students." (Pls’ Ex. 73, at
7)
455. Defendants had knowledge from the strategic school
profiles submitted by each school district to the State Department
of Education as mandated by C.G.S. §10-220(c), of the disparities
between Hartford and the surrounding communities in instruction
time, and in expenditures for textbooks and instructional supplies,
library books and periodicals, equipment, plant operation. (Pls’
Exs. 208-289)
456. In his January 6, 1993 address, defendant Governor
Weicker acknowledged: "If you are poor, if you are a minority, and
if you live in one of our cities, you start the game at a
disadvantage. While you are born with an equal capacity to learn,
the odds are you will go to a school with fewer resources and with
a greater proportion of at-risk students." (Pls’ Ex. 90)
D. The State’s Awareness of Feasible Remedies and Its Failure
to Act Over a 30-Year Period.
457. Beginning in the mid-1960s, up to the present, the state
has been repeatedly reminded of the harmful effects of racial and
economic isolation on schoolchildren in Hartford and other cities,
and urged to take strong action. (Gordon II pp. 79-81)
458. During this time, the state was well aware of the growth
in racial and economic isolation in the Hartford schools. (Gordon
I p. 129; passim)
459. The state documented increasing racial isolation on an
annual basis. (Pls’ Exs. 6; 101-123; Gordon I p. 132)
460. The documentation of racial and economic isolation in
Connecticut schools in the 1960s was thorough and comprehensive.
{(Pls’ Bx. 17,7138, 19, 20)
461. Defendants have been on notice that the Hartford Public
School System is a segregated system which will continue to exist
until metropolitan remedies are developed to reduce this isolation.
{Pls’ Bx. 36 at 24)
462. The state has been aware at least since the 1960s that
the use of district lines exacerbated the racial and ethnic
isolation in the Hartford area. (Pls’ Ex. 16 p... 2)
463. The 1965 report, Schools for Hartford, prepared by the
Harvard Graduate School of Education (Pls’ Ex. 1), was the first
report to fully document the growing problem of racial isolation in
the Hartford schools.
464. The "Harvard Report" projected increasing racial
concentrations in the Hartford schools in future years if strong
steps were not taken to promote integration. (Pls’ Ex. 1)
465. The Harvard Report also explicitly focused on the problem
of high poverty concentration in the Hartford schools {Gordon 11 p.
14).
466. The Harvard report also described the educational harms
that result from segregation (Pls’ Ex. 1 at 10).
467. The Harvard Report contained a feasible interdistrict
proposal that would have significantly alleviated the growing
problem of school segregation at the time it was proposed (Gordon II
pp. 14-15).
468. In January of 1966, the Connecticut Commission on Civil
Rights urged the State Board of Education to respond to the growing
problem of "de facto" school segregation in Connecticut. (Pls’ Exs.
7a 5 7C)
469. The Connecticut Commission pointed out that "[t]here is
evidence that Negro children show improved academic performance in
integrated school situations" (Pls’ Exs. 7a & 7c).
470. In 1966, the Civil Rights Commission presented a formal
request to the governor, seeking legislation that would invest the
State Board of BEBducation with the authority to direct full
integration of local schools which was not adopted. (Defs’ Rev.
Answer 153)
471. In 1966, the Committee of Greater Hartford
Superintendents prepared a federal grant to fund a regional
educational advisory board and various regional programs, one of
whose chief aims would be the elimination of school segregation
within the metropolitan region. (Defs’ Rev. Answer 154)
472. The State Board of Education in December 1966 stated that
"the high concentration of minority group children in urban schools
produces special problems in providing quality education. Isolation
and lack of exposure to the mainstream of American society make it
difficult for these children to achieve their full educational
- potential" (Pls’ Ex. 8).
473. The 1967 Governor's Conference on Human Rights and
Opportunities included a recommendation for interdistrict
educational parks, and interdistrict transportation to promote
school desegregation (Pls’ Ex. 12h).
- 48 -
474. In 1968, legislation supported by the Civil Rights
‘Commission was introduced in the Connecticut legislature which would
have authorized the use of state bonds to fund the construction of
racially integrated, urban/suburban "educational parks." (Defs’
Rev. Answer 155)
475. The interdistrict "educational park," was prepared as a
formal legislative proposal in January 1969 by the Legislative
Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities {Pls’ Ex. 21), but the
educational parks bill died in Committee (Gordon 46-47).
476. In 1968, the legislature did not pass legislation,
proposed by the defendant State Board of Education, that would have
authorized the board to cut off state funding for school districts
that failed to develop acceptable plans for correcting racial
imbalance in local schools. The proposal offered state funding for
assistance in the preparation of the local plans. (Defs’ Rev.
Answer f56)
477. In 1969, the Hartford superintendent of schools called
for an expansion of Project Concern to 5000 students (Gordon II p.
26). This recommendation was never implemented (Gordon 26).
478. In 1969, the legislature passed the Racial Imbalance Act,
an intradistrict desegregation law that legislators knew would have
no impact on interdistrict desegregation. (Gordon II p. 49)
479. The Racial Imbalance law was not even implemented until
11 years later when the legislature finally passed regulations.
(Gordon II p. 31)
480. The delay in passing regulations to implement the racial
balance law was due in large part to political resistance. (Pls’
Ex. 50 at 7)
481. While the Racial Imbalance law may successfully address
racial balance within certain districts, it cannot be used
successfully in cities such as Hartford where the minority
population is high. (Pls’ Ex. 493, pp. 108-09; Pls’ Ex. 495, pp.
31-32; Pls’ Bx. 494, pp. 25.)
482. During the 1980s, in a series of detailed research
‘reports, defendants readily admitted (as they had in the first and
second Tirozzi reports) the harms of racial and economic isolation
and the glaring inequities between Connecticut’s urban and suburban
schools. {Ses Pls’ Exs. 56, 59, 69, 70).
483. In April of 1981, in its first report to the state Board
of Education summarizing its efforts to "comply" with the Racial
- 40...
Imbalance Act, Hartford emphasized the need for a metropolitan
Solution, (Pls’'. Ex. 36 at 24)
484. In 1983, the state Department of Education established a
committee to address the problem of "equal educational opportunity"
in the State of Connecticut. The defendant board adopted draft
guidelines in December of 1984, which culminated in the adoption in
May of 1986, of a formal Education Policy Statement and Guidelines
by the state board. The Guidelines called for a state system of
public schools under which "no group of students will demonstrate
systematically different achievement based upon the differences --
such as residence or race or sex -- that its members brought with
them when they entered school." The Guidelines explicitly
recognized "the benefits of residential and economic integration in
[Connecticut] as important to the quality of education and personal
growth for all students in Connecticut." (Defs’ Rev. Answer 160)
485. In 1985, the "Advisory Committee to Study the State’s
Racial Imbalance Law and Regulations" urged the State Board of
Education "to declare that racially segregated schools are a barrier
to quality and equality of opportunity in education." The
Committee called for increased payments for interdistrict plans,
magnet schools, and educational parks, and endorsed the Cambridge
controlled choice approach, a combination of voluntary and mandatory
student assignment. (Pls’ Ex. 42 at 1)
486. In 1986, the Committee acknowledged the "strong inverse
relationship between racial imbalance and quality education in
Connecticut’s public schools" (Pls’ Ex. 42 at 3).
487. In January, 1988, a report prepared by the Department of
Education’s Committee on Racial Equity, under the supervision of
defendant Tirozzi, was presented to the State Board. Entitled "A
Report on Racial/Ethnic Equity and Desegregation in Connecticut’s
Public Schools," the report informed the defendant Board that
Many minority children are forced by factors related to
economic development, housing, zoning, and transportation
to live in poor urban communities where resources are
limited. They often have available to them fewer
educational opportunities. Of equal significance is the
fact that separation means that neither they nor their
counterparts in the more affluent suburban school
districts have the chance to learn to interact with each
other, as they will inevitably have to do as adults living
and working in a multi-cultural society. Such interaction
is a most important element of quality education.
Report at 7. (Defs’ Rev. Answer 162)
- B50
488. In January 1988, the Committee on Racial Equity of the
Connecticut Department of Education presented its Report on
Racial/Ethnic Equity and Desegregation in Connecticut’s Public
Schools. (Pls’ Ex. 50)
489. The January 1988 report was commonly referred to as the
"Tirozzi Report," after then-commissioner, and defendant, Gerald
Tirozzi (hereinafter "TPirozzi 1"). (Pls’ Ex. 50)
490. In the Tirozzi I report, defendants admitted that
"segregation is educationally, morally, and legally wrong." (Pls’
Ex. 50 at 1)
491. The Tirozzi I report documented the increasing
segregation, and poverty concentration in Connecticut schools, and
the growing numbers of minority students throughout the state.
(Pls’' Ex. 50 at 1-7)
492. Defendants admitted in 1988 that "Connecticut’s efforts
to date have not been able to provide the state’s minorities with an
integrated environment that fully nurtures learning, and predicted
that segregation would continue to increase without appropriate
action. (Pls’' Ex. 30 at 8, 10)
433. Defendants have been aware of a variety of desegregation
techniques that could have been used to expand school integration.
(Pls’ Ex. 50 at 8-10)
494. The Tirozzi I report recommended a desegregation strategy
for the Hartford region based on the 22 towns in the plaintiffs’
complaint plus a portion of regional school district in Burlington,
which is not included in plaintiffs’ complaint. (Pls’ Ex. 50 at 16)
495, The Tirozzi I report is a clear acknowledgment of the
pressing need for mandatory interdistrict school integration, and an
admission that meaningful desegregation may not be achieved solely
through voluntary cooperation of local districts. (Gordon II p. 11)
496. The Hartford district stated in a 1988 report to the
state, "[a]s long as the boundaries of the attendance district of
the Hartford schools [are] coterminous with the boundaries of the
city, no meaningful numerical balance can be achieved, and it would
be an exercise in futility to develop proposals to seek racial
balance" (Pls’ Ex. 53 at 6).
497. For over five years, the state has acknowledged the
deficiencies in inner city bilingual programs, but has failed to
implement its own recommendations. (Marichal pp. 33-34)
- 5 Va
498. In March, 1987, the Bilingual Education Legislation
‘Review Task Force issued a report which included 52 recommendations
in six areas. (Pls’ Ex. 48) The state has not implement some of
the most important recommendations including those in the area of
funding, certification, evaluation. (Marichal pp. 33-34)
499. A Bilingual Education Program Evaluation Report issued by
the Connecticut State Department of Education in March, 1989,
acknowledged that additional state funds were crucially needed in
bilingual education programs for staffing, teacher training, program
evaluation, and curriculum development if programs were to "operate
effectively.” (Pls’/ Ex. 442 p. 52)
500. In 1992, another report, "Connecticut’s Limited-English-
Proficient Students: A Neglected Resource" (Pls’ Ex. 86), detailed
continuing state failure to address the needs of bilingual students.
Among the problems identified were:
a. Almost 2,400 bilingual students (15%) were not even in
programs;
b. There was no special provision in the state statutes to
protect the rights of LEP students;
Co There was no state funding to school districts for
providing language assistance programs to LEP students;
d. Preservice training was not required for teachers in the
bilingual programs;
€. No in-service training or course work was required;
f. The cultural and linguistics wealth of LEP students was not
being recognized and was infrequently included in districtwide
curricula;
g. LEP students did not always have the access to supplemental
services or programs that English-proficient students had;
h. There was reduced state funding available for bilingual
programs;
i. The State failed to conduct the required annual evaluations
of the bilingual program.
(Pls’ Ex. 86 at 2-3, 12, .14). ee also Pls’ Ex. 440.
501. In 1992, the State Department of Education failed to
follow the recommendation to develop a Spanish version of the
Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT). (Defs’ Ex. 12.24 at 31)
502. The State Board of Education voted to adopt the
recommendations in this report (Pls’ Ex. 86).
503. On September 20, 1989, Governor William A. O’Neill
announced the establishment of the Governor’s Commission on Quality
and Integrated Education. (Pls' Ex, 73, at 35; Pls’ Ex. 77 at 8)
504. On December 31, 1990, the co-chairs delivered the report
to Governor O'Neill. (Pls’ Ex. 73, at 42)
505. The Governor's Commission was not empowered to recommend
any mandatory solutions (Gordon II p. 75; Pls’ Ex. 66a; Carter pP-
38).
506. A number of members of the Governor's Commission were of
the opinion that voluntary approaches are unlikely to be adequate
and have sought to have the report include mandates. (Pls’ Ex. 73)
507. In 1990, the Governor’s Commission on Quality and
Integrated Education Reported that "when social class and income
levels compound the factors of racial or ethnic difference, a bleak
picture of inequity emerges. Most poor children live far away from
rich children, and all too many of Connecticut’s African-American,
Hispanic, and recent immigrant children are poor. They are
separated because of the inextricable relationship that generally
exists in our society between race and family wealth." (Pls’ Ex.
73, at 3)
508. The Governor's Commission concluded that "a quality and
integrated education should expose students to an integrated student
body and faculty and a curriculum that reflects the heritage of many
Cultures. It should also provide all students with equal
opportunities to learn and to achieve equal educational outcomes."
(Pls’ Bx. 73, at 3)
509. The Commission stated that a student’s achievement should
not be affected by "such irrelevant factors as race, ethnicity,
gender, residence, and wealth." (Pls’ Fx. 73, at 19)
510. The defendant State Board of Education specifically voted
to "support" the final report of the Governor's Commission on
.Quality and Integrated Education and directed the Commissioner "to
take the necessary action in response to the recommendations
included in the report." (Pls’ Ex. 5)
511. The Commission’s recommendations included creation of a
new Interdistrict Transfers Grant Program based on Project Concern,
but accommodating two-way transfers. {Pls’ Bx. 73, at 14)
512. The Commission’s recommendations also included a separate
‘interdistrict grant to underwrite tuition and transportation aids
and set a target for increased student participation in Project
Concern each year beginning with the fiscal year 1992-93. {Pls’ Ex.
73, at 14)
513. The Commission also recommended expansion of the
Interdistrict Cooperative Grant. (Pls’ Ex. 73, at 15)
514. A number of other interdistrict recommendations were
included in the Governor's Commission Report. (Pls’ Ex. 73)
515. Defendants have accepted "responsibility...to move ahead
-..to pursue the [Governor’s] Commission’s recommendations and the
resources that will be required to implement them." (Pls’ Ex. 77 at
73)
516. The Governor’s Commission recommended a goal for each
school district to attain an integrated faculty. To achieve this,
the Commission urged Connecticut to (a) increase the number of
minorities graduating from teacher preparation programs in the
state; (Db) recruit minority teachers from out-of-state; (c) retain
minority teachers in the profession: and (d) regionalize the
recruitment and retention of minority teachers. (Pls’ Bx. 73, at
26)
517. The ultimate recommendations of the Commission were not
sufficient to address the problems of racial isolation in the
Hartford area (Gordon II p. 77).
518. No significant progress has been made on any of the
Governor's Commission recommendations (Gordon II p- 77; Carter p.
29, 41, 558; Williams pp. 122-124).
519. In a 1992 report, the Connecticut Association of Boards
of Education and The Connecticut Association of Public School
Superintendents urged that "Connecticut must come to grips with the
racial and economic segregation which is reflected in its
municipalities and school systems. There really are two
Connecticuts and the needs of children in urban areas are all the
more immediate and severe because of the isolation which exists."
(Pls’ Ex. 81 at :10)
E. Existing Interdistrict Programs Are Inadequate.
520. The state’s limited interdistrict grant program does not
effectively address the racial and ethnic isolation and poverty
concentration of the Hartford school system (Williams Pp. 94-97,
119-121; Allison, pp. 29-30, 36-54; Carroll, pp. 17-19, 21-22, 30, 41-42).
-'54
521. Only two small interdistrict education programs, other
‘than Project Concern, exist to serve Hartford students during the
school year (Pls’ Exs. 325-333; Williams p. 101).
522. The "Building Blocks" Montessori program, although
planned for 200, has attracted only 35, 20 of whom are from Hartford
(Pls’ Bx. S518; Williams p. 115),
523. The Greater Hartford Academy of the Performing Arts, a
half-day program, has only 43 Hartford students participating (Pls.
Ex. 516; Williams p. 116; Forman pp. 44-47).
524. Inclusive of Project Concern, only 838 of 26,000
students, or 3.26% of the entire Hartford student body, participates
in any interdistrict program (Williams p. 119).
525. Project Concern was established in 1966 as a result of
the Harvard Study, with one of its major goals to "desegregate the
schools” (Carroll p. 6; Pls’ Ex. 373).
526. Project Concern has continued to suffer from severe
cutbacks for the last ten years. (Carroll p. 10)
527. Project Concern enrollment is at its lowest in fifteen
years in numbers of participating students, and number of
participating districts, (Pls’ Ex. 368; Carroll pp. 9-11}.
528. Project Concern enrollment reached an all-time high in
1978 at 1,175 (Carroll p. 10). It is now only 680 students (Carroll
P+. 311).
529. Reductions in staff and transportation have further
impeded both the goals of the Project Concern program and its
expansion (Carroll pp. 17-19; 22).
530. Outreach efforts into the Latino community to increase
the 8% Latino participation rate in Project Concern have been
thwarted due to lack of adequate staff (Carroll pp. 17-18).
531. Significant populations such as special education
students and bilingual students continue to be excluded from Project
Concern (Carroll pp. 18; 33).
532. Project Concern has not provided enough of a critical
mass of minority students in the suburban schools to alleviate their
racial isolation (Carroll p. 30).
533. Public Act 93-263 includes no commitment of state monies
to fund any plans.
- 38
534. Public Act 93-263 contains no provisions requiring racial
‘goals or goals relating to deconcentration of poverty within a
school, school system, or region; no provisions requiring housing
integration measures, and no guaranteed funding for educational
enhancements for the city schools.
535. Under P.A. 93-263, if a regional plan passes, there are
no mandates requiring implementation of a plan at the conclusion of
the process.
536. Any town can refuse to participate in the plan under P.A.
93-263, without sanctions. (House Proceedings, May 27, 1993, Rep.
Wyman, pp. 349, 351)
537. A plan, even if approved, is funded only after a
competitive grant process. (C.G.S. §10-264e)
538. An amendment to Public Act 93-263 was introduced on
behalf of the Black and Puerto Rican caucus of the legislature which
would have addressed some of the inadequacies of the 1993 law but
the amendment was subsequently withdrawn. See LCO No. 8193
Amendment by Rep. Hyslop.
F. The State Has Defined the Concepts of Equal Educational
Opportunity and Minimally Adequate Education and Has
Failed to Comply with Its Own Definitions.
539. Under various state guidelines, Hartford students are not
receiving an equal educational opportunity. {(Natriello II p. 43,
63, 66; Pls’ Ex. 163 at 247, 265)
540. In 1984, the State Board of Education set out the first
official definition of the state's obligation to provide equal
educational opportunity. In "Guidelines for Equal Educational
Opportunity" (Pls’ Ex. 39, adopted October 3, 1984), the Board
defined equal educational opportunity as "the right of every
Connecticut child to be provided with the educational experiences
necessary to ensure that his or her intellectual ability and special
talents are developed to the fullest." In the Guidelines, the Board
stated that "equity...does not mean an equal distribution of
resources; rather, it implies that those who need more must receive
more".
541. In 1986, the State Board of Education refined its
definition of equal educational opportunity, in its "Policy
Statement on Equal Educational Opportunity" (Pls’ Ex. 43, adopted
May 7, 1986):
"Equal educational opportunity" means student access to a
level and quality of programs and experiences which
provide each child with the means to achieve a commonly
defined standard of an educated citizen.
This goal will require resource allocations based upon
individual student needs and sufficient resources to
provide each child with opportunities for developing his
or her intellectual abilities and special talents to the
fullest.
Evidence of equal educational opportunity is the
participation of each student in programs appropriate to
his or her needs and the achievement by each of the
state's student sub-populations (as defined by such
factors as wealth, race, sex or residence) of educational
outcomes at least equal to that of the state’s student
population as a whole.
* * * * *
While equal educational opportunity is a dynamic concept,
certain elements emerge as critically important to schools
and students. Access to educational opportunities, staff
and material resources, program offerings, assessment of
student outcomes, remedial education and funding are major
elements of equal educational opportunity, elements that
must interact in systematic ways. In a broad sense,
progress in...equal educational opportunity can be
measured by the reduction of inter-district, intra-
district and inter-pupil disparities in educational
opportunities as defined by these six elements.
(Pls’ Ex. 43 at 1).
542. In its 1986 "Policy Statement," the State Board also
recognized the importance of racial integration [in Connecticut’s
schools], as important to the quality of education and personal
growth for all students in Connecticut. (Pls’ Ex. 43 at 1).
543. The Governor's Commission on Quality and Integrated
Education also concluded that "a quality education requires an
integrated student body and faculty and a curriculum that reflects
the heritage of many cultures" (Pls’ Ex. 73 at 11; Pls’ Ex. 163 at
249)
544. Former Commissioner Gerald Tirozzi admitted that children
in Hartford are not receiving equal educational opportunity, based
on the state’s definition. (Pls’ Ex. 494 at 89)
545. Former Commissioner Ferrandino agreed that Hartford
students’ performance was substantially below that of schoolchildren
in the suburban districts on several measures of educational
‘achievement (Pls’ Ex. 493 at 136-137), and that the state is making
insufficient efforts to address the racial and economic isolation of
the school children in Hartford. (Pls’ Ex. 493 p. 84)
546. Dr. Elliott Williams, Chief of the Office of Urban and
Priority School Districts for the State Department of Education,
admitted that Hartford’s schoolchildren are not receiving an equal
educational opportunity. (Williams pp. 86, 88-89)
547. Defendant John Mannix, former Chairperson of the State
Board of Education, admitted that it is "generally accepted on the
State Board of Education" that a "suitable education experience" and
an "equal educational opportunity" are not now provided to
Hartford's students nor have they been for "a number of years."
Pls’ Ex. 495, pp. 33-34.
548. Most other witnesses agreed that students in Hartford are
not receiving an equal educational opportunity (Natriello II pp. 43,
50, 52) (Cloud p. 105; Noel p. 46; LaFontaine pp. 146, 151; Carter
Pp. 18, 22-25; Hernandez p. 49; Montanez p. 28; Davis p. 89; Pitocco
p. 84)
549. An adequate education can be defined as one that "help[s]
to prepare students to participate in adult society" by making them
"productive members of the work force, the labor sector, and .
- participants in the civic processes of the society" (Natriello II
Pp. 64).
550. The Common Core of Learning (Pls’ Ex. 45) is a "series of
expectations" representing "what we expect a citizen should know"
(Pls’ Ex. 494 at 83, 82).
551. The Common Core of Learning forms the basis for the
mastery testing program (Pls’ Ex. 493 at 38).
552. The Common Core of Learning was officially adopted on
January 7, 1989 as the State Board’s "standard of an educated
Citizen" and its "policy on the skills, knowledge, and attitudes
that are expected of Connecticut’s public secondary school
graduates" (Pls’ Ex. 45).
553. Former Commissioner Tirozzi agreed that, based on the
mastery test data, Hartford students are not receiving a minimally
adequate education. (Pls’ Ex. 494 at 90)
554. Hartford is not providing a minimally adequate education
for its bilingual education students (Marichal Pp. 385).
: 555. Hartford students are not receiving a minimally adequate
education. (Natriello II p. 65)
XI. COMPONENTS OF A REMEDIAL PLAN
556. Every student can learn at high levels from a quality and
integrated education. (Piss? Ex. 73, 8 11)
557. A quality education requires an integrated student body
and faculty and a curriculum that reflects the heritage of many
cultures. - (Pls’ Ex. 73, at 11)
558. A court-ordered planning process to address the specific
components of a remedy is common in desegregation cases. (Gordon
III at 24-29; Orfield at 44-47)
559. A desegregation plan will not work unless it has "teeth"
in it. (Gordon II at 84, 125-126)
560. Any plan designed to remedy conditions of segregated and
unequal education in the Hartford area must be "metropolitan wide"
to be effective. (Orfield p. 32, 33; Willie pp. 41, 42, 49; Gordon
I1'p+ 14; Pls’ Ex. 82 p.. 8)
561. Defendants agree with the need for a multi-district
solution. (Pls’ Ex. 493, Ferrandino Dep., Pp. 85, 151, 165; Pls’
Ex. 494, Tirozzi Dep., p. 144; Pls’ Ex. 323, Mannix Dep., pp. 32-33;
Mannix Dep. p. 25; Pls’ Ex. 506, p. 60; Pls’ Ex. 73, P- 5; Pls’ Ex.
506; Margolin Dep. p. 60)
562. Stability as well as academic improvement have been
achieved with metropolitan desegregation plans in other areas of the
country (Orfield I pp. 46-48; Orfield II pp. 142-43).
563. Relying solely on voluntary participation by educational
authorities in planning for desegregation will not work;
participation by local districts must be required. (Gordon II p.
125; Orfield at 33)
564. Only one major city in the nation has adopted a
desegregation plan without a court order. (Orfield at 31)
565. In their report to the Governor, the Commission co-chairs
indicated that Commission members "feel a sense of urgency to reduce
racial and economic isolation, a problem the enormity of which grows
alarmingly with every passing moment." (Pls’ Ex. 73)
566. Reduction of racial segregation and poverty concentration
is one of the primary goals to be accomplished in a remedial plan.
See, Pls’ Ex. 494, Tirozzi Dep., Dp. 3 Pls’ Ex. 493, Ferrandino
Dep., p. 139. See Calvert pp. 62-63.
567. The plan must contain numerical goals to reduce the
concentration of poor students in individual schools. (Gordon II P.
84; Orfield I pp. 30, 35, 43, 55; Willie at 22-23; Kennedy p. 42;
Slavin p. 29; Haig p. 66-67)
568. School desegregation plans must contain racial goals to
measure the accomplishment of racial balance. (Gordon II p. 149;
Orfield I p. 30; Green v. New Kent County, 391 U.S. 430 (1968);
Connecticut Racial Imbalance Act, Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-226Db)
569, Each school’s student population should reflect the
racial ratios of the students in its region. (Pls’ Ex. 73, at 13)
570. An educational equity plan should address issues of
student assignment, faculty and staff assignment, curriculum,
transportation, extracurricular activities and school facilities to
accomplish the ultimate goal of the elimination of racial
identifiability in every school (Gordon II P- 149).
571. Effective schools can make a difference in the
educational outcomes of children regardless of their socioeconomic
background. (Orfield I, p. 138). See Pls’ Ex. 493, Ferrandino
Dep., pp. 50-51, 131, 148; Pls’ Ex. 494, Tirozzi bDep., :p« 91;
Williams at 31, 83; Pls’ Ex. 506, p. 59; Pls’ Ex. 73, Finding #3, p.
1%,
572% Expenditure of additional funds on schools with high
concentrations of poverty has positive effects on student
performance. (Kennedy at 57)
573. Defendants Ferrandino and Tirozzi both support
controlled-choice plans. (Pls’ Fx. 493, p. 51; Pls’ Ex. 494, p.
38).
574. A subcommittee of the Governor’s Commission, in its
report entitled “Critical Components of Integration Plans,”
advocated two-way student transfers, available at all grade levels.
Pls’ Ex. 66g.
575. Every educator must be trained to teach both a diverse
student population and a curriculum that incorporates and honors the
diverse cultural and racial heritages. (Pls’ Ex. 73, at 11)
576. Not only is it important to have diversity in staff, but
it is important to train staff for diversity (Orfield I pp. 31-32, 37).
i BO -
577. Connecticut must increase the number of minorities
‘graduating from teacher preparation programs in the State of
Connecticut. (Pls’ Ex. 78)
578. Teachers and administrators must be knowledgeable about
issues relating to Puerto Rican culture and heritage and the
implications of the combination of poverty and ethnicity into the
classroom. (Pls’ Ex. 73 p. 24; Morales at 51)
579. The curriculum in desegregated schools must be adapted to
adequately address the diversity -- racially, ethnically and socio-
economically -- of the students in the Hartford metropolitan region.
(Gordon II p. 113)
580. Special education, gifted, advanced placement, academic
and vocational offerings must be designed so that no racial or
economic group is discriminated against. (Gordon II Pp. 113)
581. There must be careful planning in order to insure the
continued provision of bilingual education in desegregated schools.
(Marichal p. 36)
582. A critical mass of bilingual students are needed in a
particular school so as not to create too much dispersement.
{Marichal p. 36)
583. Two-way bilingual programs are often effective.
(Marichal p. 36)
584. Effective and equitable transportation must be a part of
a desegregation plan (Orfield I p. 38).
58S. A metropolitan education plan should include two-way
transfers at every grade level with effective and equitable
transportation. (Orfield I p. 38; Pls’ Ex. 66g)
586. A metropolitan education plan must include educational
enhancements for Hartford schools (Gordon II P- 113; Orfield I pp.
51-33; Haig p. 66).
587. Educational enhancements are defined as programs which
. set a minimum floor for achievement of every child and which improve
the overall achievement of all children. (Slavin pp. 13-14)
588. Defendants concur with the necessity of including
educational enhancements as a part of any remedy. (Pls’ Ex. 493;
Ferrandino Dep. p. 153; Pls’ Ex. 506 p. 63)
CL
589. A one-to-one early intervention tutoring program such as
"Success for All" could be easily and quickly replicated in Hartford
(Slavin pp. 37-38).
590. Early intervention for developmentally delayed children
and children from low-income families is generally recognized to be
beneficial. (Pls’ Bx. 77.at 2)
591. Preschool preparation assists in enriching a child's
cognitive, social, emotional and health development, and gives poor
children a chance at an even start when they enter school. {Pls’
Ex. 77 at 2)
592. When compared to children from low-income families who
did not attend high-quality early intervention programs,
participants from quality early childhood education programs have
greater school success (e.g., better grades, less need for special
education services), increased future employability, decreased need
for public welfare assistance, and decreased criminal activity later
in life, (Pls’ Ex. 79 at 1)
593. Drop-out prevention programs, and Upward Bound programs
are examples of the types of programs which could be used in upper
grades. (Orfield I p. 52)
594. Specific educational enhancements cited with approval by
Commissioner Ferrandino include family resource centers {Pls’ Ex.
493, p. 90), summer school programs (Id. at 112), and preschool
programs for at-risk students (Id. at 124).
535. Educational enhancements recommended by the Governor’s
Commission include summer school programs (Pls’ Ex. 73,:p. 15),
preschool programs (id. at 16, 20), school breakfast and lunch
programs (id. at 20), and technological innovations such as computer
networking, interactive television, and long distance learning (id.
at 18).
596. Educational enhancements alone cannot achieve positive
results. They must be implemented in combination with a plan to
reduce racial and economic isolation (Slavin pp. 37-38).
597. A metropolitan plan should include upgrading the physical
facilities and curricula in inner city schools (Willie pp. 48, 49).
598. Housing, economic development, transportation and labor
all impact segregation and all have roles to play in fostering
integration. (Pls’ Ex. 78)
599. The health needs of students should be considered in a
metropolitan education plan (Orfield I p. 54).
- 6
600. Housing initiatives should be included as part of the
remedy. See Pls’ Ex. 494; Tirozzi Dep. p. 34; Tirozzi Dep. pp. 14,
39-40, 49-50, 135; Pls’ Ex. 493; Ferrandino Dep. Pp. 161; Pls’ Ex.
495; Mannix Dep. p. 22,
601. Commissioner Ferrandino expressed support for providing
low income rental certificates for Project Concern families as a
means of promoting integration. (Pls’ Ex. 493 p. 161).
602. The Governor's Commission stressed the need for housing
integration initiatives to help solve the problems of school
Segregation. (Pls’ Ex. 73 p. 5)
603. The Governor’s Commission recognized the link between
racial and ethnic isolation and housing patterns, finding "a
significant relationship between the concentration of minority
students and the occurrence of publicly assisted housing” (Pls’ Ex.
73 at 5), and the Commission concluded that "affordable housing
could help integrate schools in the outer suburbs and rural
communities where interdistrict programs with urban schools now
present long-distance transportation problems." (Pls’ Ex. 73 at 5)
604. The need for integrated school construction has been
acknowledged by defendants, see Pls’ Ex. 494, Tirozzi Dep., pp. 159-
60; Ferrandino Dep., pp. 42-44; see Margolin Dep., p. 60.
605. A court-ordered planning process to address the specific
components of a remedy is common in desegregation cases. See Gordon
III, pp. 24-29; Orfield I, pp. 44-47.
606. Past experiences with interdistrict school desegregation
demonstrate that a court-ordered planning process can successfully
define the interests of all parties and lead to successful results.
(Gordon III p. 24)
607. For the planning process to succeed, the court must set
firm timetables (Orfield I p. 44; Gordon I Pp. 85).
608. In order to insure that the plan is successful, it is
important to have a group of experts, independent of the school
authorities, assess the plan and report directly to the Court and
the parties (Orfield I pp. 50-51; Pls’ Ex. 455).
609. Some courts have chosen to appoint a panel of experts to
design a desegregation plan. Bradley v. Milliken, 345 F. Supp. 914,
916-17 (E.D. Mich. 1972), Board of Education v. Dowell, 375 F.2d 158
(10th Cir. 1967).
610. Other courts have ordered the submission of plans by both
parties at the outset, with a remedial hearing to follow. Armstrong
BE
J. O'connell, 463 F. Supp. 1295, 1310 (E.D. Wis. 1979); Evans v,
Buchanan, 3753 P.: Supp. 1218, 1224 (D. Del. 1974); Bradley v.
Milliken, 345 F. Supp. 914 (E.D. Mich. 1972); Conley v. Lake Charles
Sch. Bd, 303 F. Supp. 394, 339 (W.D. La. 1969)
611. Still others require defendants, in the first instance,
to devise a specific and detailed plan within a short period of
time. Davis v. East Baton Rouge Parish Sch. Bd., 498 F. Supp. 580,
588 (M.D. La. 1980) (45 days); Penick v. Columbus Bd. of Educ., 429
F. Supp. 229, 267-68 (S.D. Ohio 1977) (90 days); Alvarado v. El Paso
Independent School District, 426 F. Supp. 575, 613-14 (W.D. Tex.
1976) (3 months); Quality Education for All Children, Inc. v. School
Board, 362 F. Supp. 985, 1002-03 (N.D. Ill. 1973) (6 months).
612. As an alternative to requiring the submission of plans by
the parties, some courts have appointed a special master to design
a plan. See Hart v. Community School Board, 383 F. Supp. 699, 762-
67 (E.D.N.Y. 1974); Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of
Education, 306 F. Supp. 1291, 1313 (W.D.N.C. 1969); Reed v. Rhodes,
422 F. Supp. 708, 797 (N.D. Ohio 1975).
613. The educational components of a plan must be carefully
monitored to insure that academic progress is actually being
achieved (Orfield I p. 50).
614. An intradistrict approach is not enough to achieve the
elimination of racial, ethnic, and economic isolation. (Pefs’ Br.
P. 13)
615. The state's financial hard times are responsible for the
fact that more money has not been appropriated to the interdistrict
cooperative grant program. (Defs’ Br. £. 13)
616. A metropolitan education plan could be developed in three
to six months (Willie p. 47; Gordon II p. 157; Orfield I Pp. 81).
Respectfully Submitted,
BY: Min F< Mora
Martha Stone #61506
Connecticut Civil Liberties
Union Foundation
32 Grand Street
Hartford, COT 06106
(203) 247-9823
JER BrittZin“’ #101153
‘University of Connecticut
vi School of Law
/ 65 Elizabeth Street
Hartford, CT 06105
(203) 241-4664
A
wh 0 mm,
Wesley W<¢ Horton #38478
Moller, Horton & Shields, P.C.
90 Gillett Street
Rartford, CT 06105
(203) 522-8338
BY: Phil, [eseler,
Philip D. Tegeler #102537
Connecticut Civil Liberties
Union Foundation
32 Grand Street
Hartford, CT 06106
(203) 247-9823
Theodore Shaw
Dennis Parker
Marianne Lado
NAACP Legal Defense Fund
99 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 219-1900
Sandra Del Valle
Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund
99 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10013
Christopher Hansen
American Civil Liberties Union
132 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
(212) 944-9800
Wilfred Rodriguez #302827
Hispanic Advocacy Project
Neighborhood Legal Services
1229 Albany Avenue
Hartford, CT 06112
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
CERTIFICATION OF SERVICE
This is to certify that a copy of the foregoing has been mailed
postage prepaid to Bernard McGovern, Martha Watts Prestley,
Assistant Attorney Generals, MacKenzie Hall, 110 Sherman Street,
Hartford, CT 06105, (203) 566-7173 this 25 day of May, 1995.
Moi Shone.
Martha Stone
APPENDIX
ALPHABETICAL INDEX OF WITNESS TESTIMONY
PLAINTIFFS’ WITNESSES
-NAME DATE
John Allison January 7
(Executive Director,
Capital Region Education
Council)
Jean Anderson December 23
(Teacher, Betances School)
JoMills Braddock December 22
(Professor of Sociology,
University of Miami)
Mary Carroll January 15
(Director,
Project Concern)
Don Carso December 17
(Principal,
McDonough School)
David Carter December 16
(President, Eastern
Connecticut State
University)
Diane Cloud January 15
(Teacher, Milner School)
Christopher Collier January 14
(Connecticut State :
Historian)
Al
PAGES
2-111
107-135
5-118
79-151
79-123
January 5 Dr. Robert Crain I
February 26 11
(Professor of Sociology
and Education, Teachers
College, Columbia
University)
December 21 Eddie Davis
(Principal, Weaver High
School)
Alice Dickens December 18
(Assistant Superintendent,
Hartford Public Schools)
Clara Dudley January 14
(Teacher, Hopewell School,
Glastonbury)
Jeff Forman January 27
(Senior Assistant to the
Superintendent, Hartford
Public Schools)
Badi Foster January 27
(former Vice President for
Targeted Selection and
Development, AETNA)
William Gordon I January 7
i January 8
IIT February 25
(Professor of Educational
Leadership, Wayne State
University)
January 14 Yvonne Griffin
(Teacher, Hartford High
School)
A2
67-111
148-166
117-147
112-181
112-162
3-168
17-94
81-116
Josiah Haig
(Superintendent, Hartford
Public Schools)
‘Gladys Hernandez
(Teacher, Barnard-Brown
School)
Mary Kennedy
(Professor and Director,
National Center for
Research on Teacher
Learning)
Cathy Kennelly
(Director of Financial
Management, Hartford
Public Schools)
Hernan Lafontaine I
II
(Former Superintendent,
Hartford Public Schools)
Eugene Leach
(Plaintiff Parent)
Adnelly Marichal
(Coordinator of Bilingual
Education, Hartford
Public Schools)
Richie Montanez
(Principal, Hooker School)
Julio Morales
(Professor, UConn School
of Social Work)
January 20
December 21
January 12
December 18
December 22
January 12
January 27
January 22
December 23
January 20
120-180
111-148
Freddie Morris December 23
(Principal, Wish School)
Gary Natriello I December 30
11 December 31
I January 6
(Associate Professor of
Sociology and Education;
Teachers College, Columbia
University)
Edna Negron I December
IY December
(Principal, Betances
School)
Norma Neuman-Johnson I December
II December
(Teacher, McDonough School)
Brad Noel December
(Former Guidance
Counselor, Weaver
High School)
Gary Orfield I January 28
II February 26
(Professor of Political
Science, Harvard University,
Graduate School of Education)
Virginia Pertillar January 22
(Plaintiff Parent)
Robert Pitocco ~ December 23
(Principal, Suffield
High School; Former
Assistant Principal,
Newington and Weaver
High Schools)
136-161
153-163
6-42
6-158
114-170
Charlie Senteio
(Deputy Superintendent,
Hartford Public Schools)
‘John Shea
(Assistant Superintendent,
Hartford Public Schools)
Elizabeth Sheff
(Plaintiff Parent)
Milo Sheff
(Plaintiff)
Robert Slavin
(Principal Research
Scientist and Co-
Director, Early and
Elementary Program,
Johns Hopkins University)
Dr. William Trent
(Professor, Department
of Educational Policy
Studies, Johns Hopkins
University)
Dr. Charles Willie
(Professor of Education
and Urban Studies,
Harvard University,
Graduate School of
Education)
Mary Wilson
(Administrator of
Curriculum and Staff
Development, Hartford
Public Schools)
December 18
December 18
January 6
January 12
January 21
December 29
January 13
December 21
AS
5-54
113-145
192-195
148-151
9-150
2-131