District interim tests show marked gains in math, administrators say
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Summary
District staff reported substantial interim-test growth in math across multiple grades, reductions in the number of students at the lowest achievement level, and ongoing adjustments to testing schedules and requirements; board was told the interim tests are indicators, not final state summative results.
Miss Slayton, district staff member, told the board that spring interim assessment results show significant growth in math for many classes and grades and urged the board to recognize teachers’ work.
She said many teachers had at least 80 percent of their students meet the district’s defined growth targets on interim exams that indicate how students may perform on upcoming state summative tests. She highlighted individual class results she described as “teaching school,” noting examples including 100 percent growth in several classes and multiple teachers with 90-plus percent growth rates.
Slayton emphasized that these interim exams are not the state summative assessments but serve as an indicator of likely performance. She explained testing rules that limit interim measures for students at semester schools (students present only half the year), which means some teachers will have only one interim test recorded this school year and will not show full-year growth until summative comparisons are available later in the summer.
The presentation included data on the district’s work to reduce the share of “level 1” students at the lowest performance tier. Slayton said the district saw, for example, seventh-grade math level-1 rates drop from about 30 percent in the fall to about 9 percent in the spring and similar reductions in eighth grade. She described those reductions as “the biggest bang for our buck” because moving a student off level 1 reduces required intensive interventions and documentation burdens.
Slayton also reviewed operational impacts: the district is managing concurrent statewide testing (ELPA, DLN, AS and T for juniors) and said the expanded K–2 screening and required individual reading plans have put heavy workload on primary staff. She told the board that test coordinators at each building are essential and that, after watching the work required, the district determined coordinators “are not being paid enough” for the responsibilities.
On accountability, Slayton said there is legislation moving through the state legislature that, if enacted, would “hold schools harmless” for this year’s letter grades because testing instruments changed; she said the bill had passed one chamber and still required action in the other. She expressed hope the measure would pass.
Slayton asked board members to recognize teachers and staff; no formal board action was taken on the assessment materials presented at the meeting.