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District presents Achievement Gap Reduction report; board asks about high‑school tutoring for newcomers
Summary
Administration outlined the Achievement Gap Reduction (AGR) program—1:1 tutoring, instructional coaching and smaller class sizes largely funded by state resources for elementary grades—and board members asked how high‑school students who arrive behind grade level can access support.
District administrators presented the semester‑one Achievement Gap Reduction (AGR) report at the Feb. 24 board meeting, describing AGR as a program focused on elementary students using 1:1 tutoring, instructional coaching provided by licensed teachers and lower class sizes.
The chief academic officer (presenter name provided in the meeting as "mister Steinberg"/"Steinbarth" in remarks) told the board AGR funds come through state resources that specifically fund elementary positions. He said the AGR program is “elementary driven” and that kindergarten assessment measures shifted because the new kindergarten curriculum emphasizes letter sounds before letter‑name recognition; staff expect recognition numbers to rise later in the year.
Board members asked how high‑school students who arrive behind grade level can be identified and helped. Administration answered that high schools use school counselors, structured study halls and targeted programs—AVID and community partnerships such as Boys & Girls Club programs—to support older students, and that some targeted supports have been developed for students with skill gaps.
Why it matters AGR funding and programming directly affect early literacy and numeracy supports. The district emphasized that state funding drives AGR staffing at elementary levels, so there is not an equivalent state‑funded AGR program for high school; supports for older students rely on school‑level counseling, study halls and partnerships.
Next steps and clarifications Administrators said staff will continue to provide targeted interventions and encouraged families to contact school counselors if older students need academic support. District staff noted ongoing local partnerships that provide academic mentoring and tutoring.
