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Londonderry schools report winter assessment gains, board urged to address rising opt-outs
Summary
District presenters told the school board on May 3 that winter K–12 assessments show growth across grades but flagged concerns about test opt-outs and gaps when students move from 'learning to read' to 'reading to learn.' Board members discussed outreach to families and possible state policy changes.
Londonderry School District administrators presented winter assessment data for K–12 on May 3, showing year-to-year growth in math and reading measures but sounding repeated warnings about families declining state tests and skill gaps in upper elementary grades.
District curriculum coordinators and school leaders told the school board the elementary winter diagnostics (i-Ready, DIBELS/Acadience, LEAP) show many students meeting grade-level benchmarks and notable cohort gains from last winter to this. Presenters said a sizable share of students sit only a few scale points below grade level, which could be addressed by targeted instruction and interventions.
"We have a huge chunk of students in each grade level that are sitting just below that scale score," a curriculum coordinator said, highlighting that an additional "8 to 13% of students in each grade level [are] 5 or less scale points away from being on grade level." That proximity, presenters said, argues for precise, skill-based interventions rather than broad categorization.
Why it matters: Board members pressed for more clarity on who is in the district’s largest category of below-grade-level students and on supports for pupils two or more grade levels behind. The board also focused on participation: district leaders said opt-outs of state and district diagnostics reduce usable data and can depress reported scores.
Superintendent and curriculum staff described tactics used across buildings—protected intervention blocks, targeted pullouts, licensed intervention programs, embedded special-education supports and teacher PLCs—to address deficits. At the middle and high school levels, staff noted reading and math growth as well as expanded access to advanced courses, dual enrollment and AP testing programs supported in part by federal funds.
Board members urged clearer communication with families. One member said outreach explaining how assessment results inform instruction and student supports is needed to increase participation. A state representative in public comment offered to pursue legislative change to reduce the impact of opt-outs on district results.
Looking ahead: Administrators said spring state assessments (NH SAS) and SAT testing will provide additional data; they warned that continued opt-outs could make year-to-year comparisons less reliable and recommended focused family outreach before those assessments.
Ending: Board members asked staff to prepare materials for parents that explain how the district uses test data to guide classroom instruction and interventions, and to return with both suggested communication and follow-up data in a future meeting.
