Dr. Doggett, the district’s curriculum leader, presented a three‑year view of I‑Ready universal screener results and briefed trustees on School Comprehensive Educational Plans (SEPs) that the board was asked to approve for the 2025–26 year.
Doggett described the SEP as a New York State requirement and a school‑level improvement plan based on a needs assessment and SMART goals. ‘‘The SEP is a strategic plan developed by schools to improve student outcomes,’’ she said. The plans are designed to align school goals with district and state priorities and to guide continuous improvement.
On diagnostic data, Doggett summarized year‑to‑year gains: for end‑of‑year ELA, she reported a rise from roughly 37% of students on grade level in 2022–23 to 52% by the end of the most recent school year; concurrent declines occurred in the share of students in the ‘‘danger zone’’ (three or more grade levels below) from about 27% to 13% over three years. ‘‘Over 3 years, we had a 15 percent increase of our students exiting the grade level on grade level,’’ she said.
Math showed similar movement. Doggett said district math end‑of‑year proficiency rose from 32% in 2022–23 to 46% in the most recent year and that the proportion of students in the lowest band dropped from roughly 37% to 20%. ‘‘We decreased the number of level 1 students who are performing in the red by 17%, and we've increased our greens by 14%,’’ she said.
Doggett told trustees the district combined multiple data points — local assessments, I‑Ready, state results and teacher observations — when crafting SEPs and professional development plans. She described instructional interventions that supported improvements: adoption or reinforcement of phonics and the science of reading in early grades, focused small‑group instruction, manipulatives and concrete‑pictorial‑abstract routines in math, and streamlining programs so staff could implement curriculum with fidelity.
Board members asked about goal setting and comparisons to state expectations. Trustee Scott asked what metrics will determine whether the district is ‘‘on target;’’ Doggett said the district sets incremental proficiency targets (for example, a 3% proficiency gain per subgroup per year) and that those targets are reflected in SEPs and the district comprehensive improvement plan.
Trustee Peterson asked whether I‑Ready aligns with New York State test results; Doggett said the measures are ‘‘very close’’ but noted I‑Ready does not assess writing, which is part of the state ELA test. She also said the district plans a parent university next year to help families understand curriculum and assessment strategies.
Action items: Trustees were asked to approve SEPs for all 13 schools and several grant‑funded committees and summer positions tied to literacy, MTSS and district counseling supports. Multiple staffing and grant items were put on the consent agenda following discussion.
Ending: Doggett framed the progress as incremental but sustained and said more work remains. ‘‘Are we where we want to be? No. But are we making progress? Yes, we are,’’ she said.