Meriden Public Schools

Schools That Work

Meriden Public Schools

Public, Urban

Grades K-12

Meriden, CT

Meriden Public Schools, in Connecticut, is a small urban district dedicated to collaboration and innovation. Examples of innovation abound: Classroom learning has shifted from teacher-directed to student-centered. The peer-to-peer tech buddies program—in which older students teach younger ones how to use apps and digital devices—empowers kids and builds relationships. And the commitment to developing in-district resources to serve special education students led to the creation of a unique sensory room at one of the elementary schools.

In 2016, Meriden Public Schools outperformed the state growth rate on the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium by 3% in math and 1% in ELA.
Across the district, suspensions are down 86% and expulsions are down 95% since 2011.
Recognized as a District of Distinction in 2016 by District Administration and received the Magna Award in 2016 from the National School Board Association.

A photograph of an older student working with a younger student.

Teacher Collaboration

Want to Improve a District? Let Teachers Lead the Way

A Connecticut superintendent put teachers and students at the forefront of all decisions and transformed a district.

Holly Korbey

Learning Environments
Sensory Room 101
After we published a video about a special room designed to help autistic kids calm and focus themselves, you had questions. Here’s what it takes to create this kind of space.
Betty Ray
Administration & Leadership
Innovating Through District-Union Collaboration
Memorandums of understanding help district leaders and union members achieve flexibility around time and money issues.
Mark D. Benigni
Administration & Leadership
Using No-Agenda Meetings Effectively
“No agenda” doesn’t mean “no purpose”—these meetings foster innovation and open discussion among district leaders.
Barbara Haeffner
Administration & Leadership
Meriden Public Schools: Courageous Leadership and Innovation in Action
Visit a school district that has modernized by focusing on four key areas.
Administration & Leadership
Redesigning District-Wide Special Education Services
A multipronged approach to improving services for students with special needs.
Patricia Sullivan-Kowalski
Student Engagement
Student-Centered Learning: Building Agency and Engagement
Peek inside a high school where teachers act as facilitators and students are directors of their own learning.
Learning Environments
The Sensory Room: Helping Students With Autism Focus and Learn
Imagine a safe space where students with autism can go to calm their bodies and then get back to the business of learning.
Technology Integration
Tech Buddies: Building Technology Skills Through Peer Teaching
See the learning on both sides when fifth graders teach computer skills to first graders.

Schools That Work

Meriden Public Schools

.css-1sk4066:hover{background:#d1ecfa;}Sensory Room 101

Sensory Room 101