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Board hears assessment data, opt-out effects and plans to bolster middle-school supports
Summary
District officials presented state assessment results, explained discrepancies tied to accelerated algebra placement and opt-outs, and described plans to expand MTSS/RTI and move writing labs into middle school.
Lynnbrook Union Free School District officials discussed recently published assessment results and the local context behind the numbers at the March 12 Board of Education meeting.
Dr. Balekas, the district curriculum leader, said some published reports did not account for students taking accelerated algebra in Grade 8, which affected headline percentages. “When those kids are overturned … the percentage passing goes up to 71 percent,” he said, explaining that district accountability figures include students in accelerated courses.
Administrators and board members also discussed the district’s high opt-out rates for state testing, especially in middle school cohorts. Balekas and trustees noted that opt-outs can skew reported results because the subset of students taking the tests may not be representative. “You don't see the numbers of children that are opting out … when you factor in the outer regions there, the opt out rate goes closer to 50%,” Balekas said.
The board discussed programmatic responses. Officials said writing labs will be moved to the middle school to strengthen literacy where assessments and higher-level science exams demonstrate stronger reading demands. The district will also expand its response-to-intervention (RTI) approach into a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) that adds social-emotional learning and broader progress monitoring through the middle grades.
Trustees emphasized that state assessments are only one measure and noted strong performance on longer-term outcomes such as Regents and AP exams. Administrators said local assessments and classroom work remain central to instructional decision-making.
No formal votes on curriculum or program changes are recorded in this meeting transcript; the board directed staff to continue planning implementation steps for MTSS and middle-school interventions.
