NPS presents trio of measures tracking advanced-studies diplomas; math, science and foreign language gaps cited

Norfolk Public Schools staff reviewed three interim measures tied to Board Goal 5 at a March 19 school board workshop, reporting that current student cohorts are off track to meet board targets for graduates earning the advanced studies diploma.

Staff told the board the district’s average for advanced studies diplomas was 35.3% at the time of the presentation, while the state average stood at 51.5%. For the 2027 graduating cohort (the district’s tracked cohort), staff said the board’s target was 47% and that the cohort had experienced a 1.2 point decline from the first to second quarter of the school year; the presenter said the cohort’s highest possible share by year end, given current course enrollments, was 47%.

Why it matters: The advanced studies diploma is the board’s proxy for access to high-level coursework; the presentation framed the objective as a long-range goal that depends on course selection made earlier in students’ careers.

Key findings and context

- Cohort baselines and targets: Staff reported the goal for the 2027 cohort is 47% on track by the end of school year 2024–25. The 2027 cohort’s on‑track percentage fell 1.2 points between Q1 and Q2 but remained 1.4 points higher than the same time last year.

- Course areas with highest failure rates: Presenters identified mathematics and science courses as having the highest failure rates for the tracked cohorts. Staff also noted a drop below the program’s initial data point of 8.9 points for the 2027 cohort, in part because students without sufficient foreign-language credits are excluded from the metric.

- Foreign-language requirement: One measure requires a minimum of three years of language study for the advanced studies diploma; staff said students who are not enrolled in a language course or who lack a completed credit fall off the metric.

Interventions described

Staff outlined both short- and long-term strategies: school counselors are using Q2 failure data to identify and prioritize at‑risk students for tutoring and early‑intervention meetings with families; district tutors and Menom (Edmentum) courseware are being used for targeted remediation; counselors are holding one‑on‑one meetings and advising students about diploma types starting as early as sixth grade; and the district has expanded MajorClarity (an academic and career-planning platform) into fourth and fifth grades.

Staff said departments are providing targeted professional development, refining high-quality instructional materials, and increasing literacy integration and hands-on learning across content areas to boost rigor and engagement.

Board requests and data gaps

Board members asked staff for more granular data by school, demographic subgroup and specific high-school courses with the highest failure rates. Presenters said the district conducts monthly data meetings with principals and school leadership and that they can provide breakdowns by school and subgroup upon board request; staff also noted some past internal decisions limited the amount of demographic data in the public report but that school-level and subgroup reports are used in internal school data meetings.

Staff repeatedly emphasized that the goal is long term and that many students now counted in cohorts had already made course selections before the goal was set, limiting near-term changes. Staff said the transition to a 4x4 schedule may give students additional opportunities to catch up in language coursework.

Quotes from the meeting

- "The goal is for our students to meet or exceed the state average by the end of the 20 six‑twenty 7 school year," the presenter said while describing the board target and current district and state averages.

- On remediation strategies: "School counselors have identified and prioritized at‑risk students using the Q2 failure data to flag students failing multiple courses and facilitating response to intervention using tutoring and Menom courseware and by engaging families in early intervention meetings to prevent students from continuing to struggle," the presenter said.

What’s next

Board members asked staff to provide a detailed breakdown of failure rates by school and by demographic subgroup and to supply data on which specific high‑school math and science courses show the highest failure rates. Staff agreed to return with more detailed school‑level and subgroup data and said they will continue monthly data meetings with principals to tailor interventions.