Eastport‑South Manor Central School District administrators told the Board of Education on Oct. 8 that preliminary 2025 state assessment and I‑Ready diagnostic results show notable year‑over‑year gains in several elementary grades and that the district will expand coordinated K–6 action plans to sustain improvement.

District administrator Dr. Christie said the presentation compared 2025 results to 2024 and stressed rising participation and proficiency. “We are very happy that we are seeing positive trends in our students who are sitting for the test,” Dr. Christie said.

The presentation emphasized improvements in third‑grade ELA (a 22‑point rise year‑to‑year), fifth‑grade ELA (a 27‑point rise), and fifth‑grade math (a 25‑point rise), plus a jump on the fifth‑grade science assessment from 36% proficiency in 2024 to 59% in 2025. Administrators also reported strong kindergarten I‑Ready results: 89% of kindergarteners at or above grade level in reading and 80% at or above grade level in math, both higher than state and national comparison points presented.

Why it matters: district leaders said higher participation and improved outcomes give a fuller, more reliable picture of student learning and allow the district to target supports. “We want all of our kids to take these assessments. This way, it gives us a full picture of where we stand academically,” Dr. Christie said.

Key details and planned steps
- Participation: administrators said participation rates are up across grades; they did not report a districtwide 100% participation figure and described continued outreach to families to increase participation.
- Cohort analysis: board member Miss Costanza asked whether year‑to‑year or cohort comparisons matter more. District staff answered that both are useful and that third and fifth grades present particular curriculum challenges (multiplication/division in third grade; fractions and decimals in fifth). “I think it's important to look at both data points,” a math director said.
- K–2 and 3–6 action plans: the district will continue monthly Data Wise meetings, professional development, co‑teaching and expanded use of ESM periods for targeted remediation and enrichment. The plan includes coaching, peer feedback, and formal/informal observations to spread effective instructional practices.
- Curriculum and assessment changes: administrators described continued rollout of phonics programs (UFLI), expansion of I‑Ready, implementation of Magnetic Literacy in grade 6, more online assessment practice for grades 3–6, and a plan to increase science instructional time and align classroom assessments to the New York State science exam.
- New math supports: the district introduced two elementary MTSS math teachers to provide targeted intervention, progress monitoring and coaching.

Officials cautioned about comparing single‑year changes across different cohorts and said 2024 was the first year of new state learning‑standards assessments, so 2024–25 is the initial multi‑year trend line. “2024 was the first year of implementation of assessments aligned with the next generation learning standards,” a director said.

Board reaction and next steps
Board members praised gains and asked for more granular county and state comparisons once the New York State data are fully released; administrators said more detailed comparisons would be available about 10 days after the state’s public release. The district said it will continue to use Data Wise and other formative measures to identify students one grade level below and deliver targeted supports.

Officials said the K–6 action plans and the expanded math intervention positions are already incorporated into this year’s schedule and budget; they will report back to the board on progress and updated data next year.