District staff presented the 2024'25 academic results to the board, showing uneven progress across grades and subjects and raising a particular alarm about reading proficiency for the current eighth-grade cohort.

Presenters said the district uses I-Ready diagnostics (K'0) and SBAC state assessments (grades 3'6 and grade 11 for high school) to measure student skills. Staff described I-Ready as a skill'level diagnostic and said the district'wide goal is to reach 80% of students at grade-level proficiency, a threshold they view as evidence of solid core instruction. The presenters said kindergarten results have improved markedly, and some schools are showing substantial gains; science scores showed broad increases where the district adopted a more hands'on curriculum.

But the district reported declines in math proficiency at multiple grades and noted that not all SBAC open'ended responses had been scored at the time of the presentation; staff said most tests were in the system and estimated scoring completion in the mid'90% range.

Most notably, staff reported that the district'wide average reading (writ-scale) score for the current eighth-grade cohort is the lowest recorded in the last decade. Staff described that cohort as having been third and fourth graders during the COVID years and said their average reading score corresponds to a late fourth' to early fifth'grade reading level. The district said the cohort includes roughly 530 eighth graders and that the deficit is broad across the group (some students perform above grade level; others are well below).

Staff emphasized wide variability among teachers and schools: some classrooms report proficiency in the 80'plus percentiles while others are in the 30s. The presenters said that teacher'level and school'level analysis is more informative than district averages and that principals are reviewing classroom growth data to set targeted goals.

For secondary schools, staff reported increases in chronic absenteeism across all secondary buildings and expressed concern about how absenteeism and low reading levels will affect high school course credit and graduation preparedness. To address the problem, staff said they will pursue multiple strategies, including tiered interventions (MTSS), small'group instruction, and possible expansion of literacy supports at the high school level.

District staff also said they would apply for a state secondary literacy grant (application due June 30) to bring additional resources to high schools for reading interventions. Board members asked for teacher'level and school'level patterns and were told staff would share more detailed analyses with principals; staff cautioned that distributing teacher names and scores publicly raises professional'courtesy concerns and that school administrators are primary owners of teacher improvement plans.

Ending: Board members described the findings as concerning and asked staff to return with more detailed, actionable plans focused on targeted interventions, teacher development and family engagement to address chronic absenteeism and the COVID-era reading gap.