State education staff presented preliminary statewide outcome data showing modest gains in graduation and college‑and‑career readiness and a decline in the share of third graders scoring below the department’s cut score.

Key statewide figures: For the most recent cohort reported (noted as 2023 data in the session), the department reported a four‑year graduation rate of 91.56%, an increase of about 1.5 percentage points from the prior reported year. Staff said the share of students meeting the state's college‑and‑career‑readiness (CCR) indicators rose to about 87.88% from 84.2% in the prior reporting period — an increase the department described as nearly four percentage points. On third‑grade reading using the current cut score (444), staff reported 88.4% of students at or above grade level and 11.6% below.

Why it matters: The state is phasing in higher expectations for reading measurement; third‑grade outcomes are tied to retention and summer supports, and the CCR measure is slated to be required for graduation in the near term under state policy.

District and school data release: Staff said district‑level and school‑level breakdowns are available in the board’s document portal and that statewide public release of the district summaries was scheduled for 3 p.m. the same day. Staff also said they will provide school‑level data to the board by July and that districts already have access to their own results.

Context and cautions: Officials noted that changes in cut scores and test designs can make year‑to‑year comparisons misleading; they presented a three‑column chart showing how historical scores map to the current cut score to demonstrate growth when re‑scored comparably. The department signaled continued focus on summer learning and attendance, and said it will track summer school participation more closely this year.

Ending: Board members asked for deeper school‑level analysis (including absenteeism among students who test below grade level) and staff agreed to provide additional breakdowns ahead of the next meeting.