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Rogers Park presenter reports test gains, outlines targeted strategies to close achievement gaps
Summary
At a Danbury Board of Education meeting, a Rogers Park school representative presented student-performance data, described interventions for high-needs students and multilingual learners, and cited recent gains in science and EL exits while noting persistent gaps in math and ELA.
A Rogers Park school presenter told the Danbury Board of Education that the school is seeing measurable improvement on several metrics and outlined strategies intended to close persistent achievement gaps.
The presenter said Rogers Park enrolls about 885 students, roughly three-quarters of whom meet the district’s definition of “high needs,” and described recent gains including a roughly 9-percentage-point increase in science proficiency this year and the exit of 76 English learners from EL status this school year.
The context: Rogers Park’s leadership framed the progress as the result of sustained instructional changes and supports targeted at students with high needs and multilingual learners. The presenter said the school’s approach is focused on “evidence-based decision making,” “actionable feedback,” and “high-quality relevant professional learning.”
School leaders noted areas of continuing concern. Math proficiency was reported at about 12 percent and reading proficiency at about 23 percent; growth rates have been uneven, with non–high-needs students outpacing high-needs students in recent growth measures. The presenter said those results informed the school’s priorities: flexible strategic grouping in mathematics, increased student discourse and monitoring of learning targets, and culturally and linguistically responsive (CLR) instructional practices.
On attendance and engagement, the presenter described a tiered approach to chronic absenteeism: school-family connection strategies, an expanded mentoring program, monthly letters and truancy meetings when earlier supports do not work, and use of the school-based health center and community partners for wraparound services. The presenter said chronic absenteeism indicators have trended downward since the return from COVID disruptions.
Programmatic changes cited included a stable schedule with 60-minute physical-education classes (aimed to deliver 45 minutes of active time), a new 7th-period project-based learning course, and expanded professional learning for teachers. The presenter said the school staged a diagnostic assessment earlier in spring so results could be used in an eight-week instructional push before state testing; projected proficiency figures shown to the board suggested double-digit gains in math and strong reading growth, though the presenter emphasized those were projections with additional instruction remaining.
Direct quote: “We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are,” the presenter said, summarizing the school’s continuous-improvement stance.
The board received the report as an informational presentation; the presenter closed by thanking the board and staff and noting continued plans to use data to target instruction.
Ending: Rogers Park leaders said they will continue to monitor spring assessment results and employ the described interventions next year to sustain gains and narrow gaps between high-needs and non–high-needs students.
