Romulus schools off track on some state benchmarks; district outlines tutoring, PD and monitoring steps

The Romulus Community Schools Board of Education heard an 18-month benchmark review from the district's teaching, learning and professional development (TLP) team at its March 10 meeting, which found mixed results across state and local measures and concluded the district is "off track with progress" because the high school did not meet state SAT benchmarks.

Janelle Edwards, interim director of teaching, learning and professional development, told the board the partnership agreement with the Michigan Department of Education and Wayne RESA set three measurable goals: increase proficiency on state ELA assessments, increase proficiency on state mathematics assessments and develop a districtwide professional learning system. The assessment baseline is taken from tests administered in April 2024.

Scott Brooke, the district data coach, said the high school met some local NWEA growth targets but failed to meet the state SAT benchmarks in both ELA and math. "Our total district status is off track with progress," Brooke said, noting that one campus meeting more state benchmarks would still leave the district off track because the high-school state results weigh heavily in the partnership review.

Seth Petty, Romulus High School principal, described curriculum adoptions and interventions already implemented at the high school: new ELA and math materials, assessment teams led by department heads, a math coach in the first half of the year, partnerships with external providers for individualized math professional development (Big Ideas), and new SAT prep and Read 180 courses. "We've seen growth in NWEA performance," Petty said, while acknowledging the school did not meet the state's established targets for the review period.

Krista Sailor, an instructional specialist on the TLP team, described on-site coaching and classroom work: "I spend two days with the middle school and two days with the high school," Sailor said, and added that she works directly with teachers and small groups of students during coaching cycles. The district also reported participation in a culturally responsive mathematics institute and other professional development supports.

Board members pressed for clarity on monitoring. One trustee asked why the district had not been on target; Edwards said the benchmark review used April 2024 assessment data and that some report summaries were presented to the district in October 2023. Edwards said she received the formal benchmark information about two to three weeks before the March meeting and since then had discussed restructuring the Renaissance tutoring program and creating individualized math teacher professional-development plans.

Brooke and other TLP staff described the district's Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System (eWIMS) process for identifying students with risk flags based on attendance, behavior and course performance. Brooke said the district holds weekly data meetings and quarterly pulls of eWIMS indicators; the weekly meetings identify students who then receive targeted support through PBIS coaches, attendance liaisons or teacher-driven academic interventions.

The TLP team outlined specific next steps the district plans to pursue: restructure Renaissance tutoring to create rotating skill groups; expand daily reading groups and SAT practice; provide individualized professional development for math teachers (including Khan Academy and Big Ideas support); sustain PLCs and instructional leadership routines; and increase progress monitoring frequency so teachers and leaders can intervene earlier.

Superintendent Benjamin Edmondson framed the presentation as both an assessment of current supports and a call for urgency. "Do you have the will to do what is necessary?" Edmondson said, adding he will pursue focused changes and may ask the board for support on implementation steps.

The presentation included a question-and-answer period during which board members and staff discussed the frequency of common assessments (currently about once or twice per quarter), the structure of PLC time (four two-hour PLCs and two three-hour PLCs across the school year), and the district's plan to increase interim assessments and SAT practice so teachers can identify and reteach specific standards before summative tests.

The board did not take any formal action to change staffing or curriculum at the meeting; presenters said revised recommendations and bid-related items tied to facilities would return to the board after further development.

Looking ahead, the district said it will continue eWIMS weekly data meetings, target individualized PD for math teachers, restructure tutoring, and monitor progress more frequently. The TLP team and district leaders pledged to return to the board with further updates and any formal recommendations for policy or staffing changes.