GETTING TO KNOW CREC
Excellence in Education
www.crec.org
CREC’s Mission
“To work with boards of
education of the Capitol Region
to improve the quality of public
education for all learners.”
www.crec.org
Mission
 To achieve its mission, CREC will:
 Promote cooperation and collaboration with local school districts
and other organizations committed to the improved quality of
public education;
 Provide cost effective services to member districts and clients;
 Listen and respond to client needs for the improved quality of
public education; and
 Provide leadership in the region through the quality of its services
and its ability to identify and share the quality services of its
member districts and other organizations committed to public
education.
www.crec.org
Core Values
 Trust — Built on personal integrity, and forthright and
ethical communication
 Leadership — Born of wisdom, experience, tenacity and
courage
 Diversity — Striving to promote social justice through our
programs and our actions
 Quality — Through a culture of continuous improvement
 Collaboration - By partnering with our 35 member
districts, area agencies, and by maintaining collegiality
within our divisions, programs and staff.
www.crec.org
CREC at a Glance
 A 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization
 Headquarters in Hartford, CT
 Employs 2,000+ people
 Operates 19 magnet schools, serving over 8,000
students from throughout the Capitol Region
 Offers 120+ programs for educators and
paraprofessionals
 Annual revenue of $207.3 million in 2012
www.crec.org
CREC’s Funding
 CREC is supported by local, state, federal and
private funds. Local school districts become
members of CREC with an annual fee of 20 cents
per pupil.
 Each CREC program is discretely funded with a
budget that completely supports its operation and
contributes a proportionate share to CREC’s overall
management and development.
www.crec.org
CREC’s Revenue Sources,
FY 12
4%
State Grants
Member Boards
of Education
Other LEAs and
Agencies
Federal Grants
14%
24%
58%
www.crec.org
CREC’s Leadership
 The governing Council of CREC is comprised of one
representative from each of the 35 school districts in the
Capitol Region.
 The Council meets monthly with an announced agenda that
includes policy, programmatic, personnel and fiscal items. The
control of the Capitol Region Education Council rests squarely
at the local level.
www.crec.org
About the Director
 Bruce E. Douglas, Ph.D.
 Executive Director since 2001, previously assistant executive
director
 Began career teaching in Bloomfield
 Came to CREC from Suffield Public Schools, where he
served as Superintendent
 Holds his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from UConn
www.crec.org
CREC’s Cabinet
www.crec.org
CREC’s Leadership
www.crec.org
CREC’s Two Hats
CREC serves two main functions in our
community:
 Act as a Regional Education Services
Center (RESC), serving local school
districts
 Operate its own district of magnet and
student services schools, serving students
from throughout the region
www.crec.org
CREC as a RESC
 CREC was founded in 1966 as a grassroots organization of
local school districts working together to solve common
problems.
 It is one of six Regional Educational Service Centers (RESCs)
established under Connecticut General Statute 10-66 a-n,
which permits local boards of education to establish a RESC as
a “public educational authority” for the purpose of
“cooperative action to furnish programs and services.”
www.crec.org
Connecticut’s RESCs
www.crec.org
Towns Served by CREC
· Avon
· Berlin
· Bloomfield
· Bolton
· Bristol
· Burlington
· Canton
· Cromwell
· East Granby
· East Hartford
· East Windsor
· Ellington
· Enfield
· Farmington
· Glastonbury
· Granby
· Hartford
· Hartland
· Harwinton
· Manchester
· New Britain
· New Hartford
· Newington
· Plainville
· Portland
· Rocky Hill
· Simsbury
· Somers
· Southington
· South Windsor
· Suffield
· Vernon
· West Hartford
· Wethersfield
· Windsor
· Windsor Locks
www.crec.org
CREC as a RESC
 Regularly serves 35 member districts (36 towns) in
Greater Hartford
 Reaches additional towns/districts through a
number of statewide services and programs
 Assists more than 150,000 students each year
 Offers more than 120 programs
www.crec.org
CREC as a School District
 CREC currently operates 19 magnet schools in the Greater
Hartford area
 CREC Schools are tuition-free for families
 CREC schools are diverse in theme, but united in purpose: that
all of our students can learn to their highest potential
 Schools feature themes such as aerospace and engineering,
environmental science and technology, arts and culture, and
public safety, International Baccalaureate, and Montessori.
 CREC also operates Student Services programs and schools for
students with special needs
www.crec.org
Schools of Excellence
CREC SCHOOLS
www.crec.org
CREC Magnet Schools
 CREC Magnet Schools are significantly more racially,
ethnically, and economically diverse than the state at
large
 Most CREC Magnet Schools have seen a reduction, and
in certain cases an elimination, of the nation’s largest
achievement gaps
 CREC Schools continuously outperform state averages
on CMT and CAPT testing
 CREC Schools have achieved these results during a
period of rapid growth, nearly tripling student enrollment
in five years
www.crec.org
CREC’s Magnet School
Locations
www.crec.org
CREC’s District of Magnet
Schools
 Pre-Schools and Elementary Schools
Managed By CREC
 Museum Academy (Pre K - 5)
 Discovery Academy (Pre K - 5)
 Glastonbury-East Hartford Elementary
Magnet School (Pre K - 5)
 Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
Elementary Magnet (Pre K - 5)
 International Magnet School for Global
Citizenship (Pre K - 5)
 Medical Professions and Teacher
Preparation Academy (Pre K)
 Montessori Magnet School (Pre K - 6)
 Reggio Magnet School of the Arts (Pre K
- 5)
 University of Hartford Magnet School (Pre
K - 5)
 Academy of Aerospace & Engineering
Elementary School (Pre K – 5)
 Middle Schools and High Schools
Managed By CREC
 Academy of Aerospace & Engineering
(6 - 12)
 Greater Hartford Academy of
Mathematics & Science: Half-Day
Program (9-12)
 Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
Magnet Middle School (6 - 8)
 Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts (9
- 12)
 Medical Professions and Teacher
Preparation Academy (6 - 12)
 Metropolitan Learning Center for Global
& International Studies (6 - 12)
 CREC Public Safety Academy (6 - 12)
 Two Rivers Magnet Middle School (6-8)
 Two Rivers Magnet High School (9 - 12)
www.crec.org
CREC Service Divisions
 Student Services
 CREC’s Student Services Division provides leadership in special
education and support services, research-based practice,
student achievement, and value-added extensions to programs
and services of local school districts
 Student Services staff work with local school districts to develop,
adopt, and implement a collaborative approach to service
delivery that involves effective use of student support services
personnel, parental involvement, and community-based
resources
 The Division of Student Services is committed to providing districts
and their students and families with high-quality, cost-effective
educational services
www.crec.org
Student Services Programs
 Birth to Three Program
 Family Enrichment Services
 Farmington Valley Diagnostic
Center
 Integrated Program Model
 The Polaris Center
 River Street School
 Autism Outreach
 River Street Autism Program
 Soundbridge
 Health Services
www.crec.org
Expert Solutions
CREC’S SALE OF SERVICE DIVISIONS
www.crec.org
CREC Service Divisions
 CREC’s service divisions offer over 100 programs
and services for educators and paraprofessionals
including:
 Ongoing professional development workshops for
educators
 School construction, operations, and facilities services
 Cooperative purchasing and business services
 Preschool and care programs for infants and their
families
 Innovative partnership programs that help adults
develop real, job-ready skills now
 Instructional technology, data analysis & research
support, and technological infrastructure
www.crec.org
Programs and Services
 CREC’s programs and services
document is released annually and is
available online and in print. It provides
a summary of the many opportunities for
professional development, consultation,
and in-district support provided by
CREC.
www.crec.org
CREC Service Divisions
 Construction Services
 CREC Construction Services is a premiere Owner’s Project
Management and Owner’s Representative organization
 The Construction Division specializes in exceeding customer
expectations, ready to help with any building project
 Currently tasked with overseeing construction of seven new
locations for CREC’s growing district of magnet schools
 CREC Construction Services advisors help clients make wellinformed decisions, assuring their best interests are protected and
guaranteed
www.crec.org
CREC Service Divisions
 Data Analysis, Research, and Technology
 The Division of Data Analysis, Research, and Technology (DART)
provides support and services in the areas of research, data
analysis, and technology.
 DART technology specialists provide districts across Connecticut
with resources such as professional development, curriculum
revision, and infrastructure planning
 The Office of Data, Research, and Evaluation within DART is
specifically tasked with providing support in the collection,
analysis, and use of high-quality data for educational policy and
program decision making
www.crec.org
CREC Service Divisions
 Community Education
 The Division of Community Education’s goal is to impact
communities through outreach, training, and support for families
and staff that result in learning success, more effective parenting,
career development, and job acquisition
 Community Education provides community and professional
development programs in the areas of adult basic education,
adult literacy, family development, transition to employment
services, and much more
www.crec.org
CREC Service Divisions
 Technical Assistance and Brokering Services
 TABS provides customers with quality staff, products, programs,
and services that help improve education opportunities for all
learners
 TABS can assist with relevant professional learning opportunities,
staffing solutions, professional learning communities, executive
services, grants and development services, and high quality
professional and online learning opportunities
 TABS provides a timely and vital link to the resources needed by
our clients using a “one stop shopping” model to deliver
customized services
www.crec.org
CREC Service Divisions
 Hartford Region Open Choice Program
 The Hartford Region Open Choice Program (formerly Project
Concern) is a part of a statewide school choice program that
offers Hartford students the opportunity to attend public schools
in suburban towns, and suburban students the opportunity to
attend public schools in Hartford at no cost to families
 Open Choice’s purpose is to improve academic achievement;
reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation; and provide a
choice of educational programs for children
 Admission into the program is conducted through the Regional
School Choice Office (RSCO) at the State Department of
Education. CREC is one of four RESCs in the state that is
legislatively mandated to manage an Open Choice program
www.crec.org
CREC Service Divisions
 Institute of Teaching and Learning
 The Institute of Teaching and Learning provides high quality
professional learning opportunities and resources to support
school districts in preparing their students for success in the 21st
century
 The Institute’s work is grounded in research of best practices
related to instruction, assessment and school turnaround
 Institute staff work closely with our partners, including the
Connecticut Department of Education, to ensure services are
closely aligned with state, regional and national best practices
 Education Specialists provide highly personalized embedded
professional development to districts throughout the CREC region
and beyond
www.crec.org
CREC Service Divisions
 Transportation Services
 CREC Transportation Division coordinates transportation for the
Greater Hartford Choice Programs
 CREC manages over 600 bus routes to more than 185 schools.
 The management team at CREC Transportation has over 108
years of experience combined, is proficient using the three major
routing software programs, and has a state certified school bus
safety instructor on staff
www.crec.org
CREC Service Divisions
 Operations, Facilities, and Security
 The Division of Operations and Facilities offers a wide range of
services that help school districts maintain efficient and costeffective operations
 Food Services staff plan, coordinate, and operate efficient food
service programs. They also have a broad understating of the
National School Meals program regulatory requirements and
educational environments in Connecticut
 Facilities Management staff operate CREC’s schools and offices,
provide consulting services for contracted facilities management
and facilities assessments/capital replacement plans, and offer
Cooperative Purchasing programs designed to save time and
money by leveraging the buying power of thousands of
organizations
www.crec.org
More Information About
CREC
www.crec.org
www.crec.org
More Information About
CREC
www.crecschools.org
www.crec.org
CREC is Social
Facebook:
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CRECExcellenceinEducation
LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/
company/crec
Twitter:
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CREC_Education
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/
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