During a recent board meeting, district coordinators presented an overview of academic performance data for the 2023-2024 school year, focusing on K-8 metrics. The presentation highlighted the district's progress in key areas of the state’s accountability index, which evaluates schools based on various academic indicators, including achievement, growth, and absenteeism.

Alicia Nalway and Stephanie Lawler, the district's ELA and math coordinators, reported that Southington students achieved a notable 65.3% proficiency rate in English Language Arts (ELA) on the Smarter Balanced Assessments, significantly surpassing the state average of 48.9%. This marks the highest achievement rate for the district since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In mathematics, the district recorded a 64.3% proficiency rate, the highest in seven years, with particular improvements noted in grades 5, 6, and 8.

The presentation also emphasized the positive impact of recent curriculum changes, particularly in early literacy instruction for kindergarten and first-grade students. Data showed that 87% of kindergarteners and 82% of first graders met or exceeded literacy benchmarks by the end of the year, reflecting the effectiveness of the district's shift towards a science of reading approach.

In addition to achievement, the coordinators discussed growth metrics, revealing that 60.8% of students met their growth targets in ELA, the highest rate recorded since the state began tracking this data. For mathematics, the average growth target achieved was 67.1%, outperforming the state average of 61.4%.

The meeting concluded with a reminder of the importance of student attendance, as consistent school presence is crucial for academic success. The district plans to continue monitoring these indicators and implementing strategies to further enhance student performance in the coming years.