Mister Whitehouse and district academic leaders briefed the Marion County School Board on the fourth year of the Achieve 2026 five‑year strategic plan, reporting gains in English language arts and civics but continued concern about subgroup outcomes and some mathematics grade levels.

Lede: District staff told the board July 17 that English language arts scores rose in every grade this past year and that civics and U.S. history showed notable gains, but they said performance among English language learners and students with disabilities remains an area of focused work and that attendance and early intervention will be priorities.

Nut graf: The presentations summarized year‑to‑year results across multiple assessments and graduation tracking, and described tiered, targeted supports for schools (monthly walkthroughs and data meetings for higher performers; bimonthly and weekly supports for mid‑ and low‑performing schools). Staff emphasized early grade interventions, attendance teams, and using the district’s early‑warning data to drive weekly student‑level decisions.

Body: Mister Whitehouse (assistant superintendent leading the strategic plan update) told the board the district tracked 14 outcome metrics for Goal 1 and that 10 of those metrics improved in 2024–25. He highlighted literacy work: “we continue to see growth in every single grade level in our English language arts test scores last year,” he said.

District staff acknowledged weak spots. For math, Whitehouse and team said several grade levels—fifth, sixth and eighth grades—showed declines and will require targeted math instruction supports. The presentation showed a biology gain that outpaced the state and steady increases in AP participation and pass rates; the district also recorded its highest number of industry certifications to date (presenters said more than 2,100 certifications were earned, a lagging metric that will affect future school and district grades).

Staff also emphasized subgroup performance. The Florida federal percent of points index (FPPI) requires monitoring of subgroup outcomes; Whitehouse said the state calculates school grades for subgroups and that some schools had become chronically below the 41% threshold that triggers escalated state monitoring. "Students who are trying to learn a new language ... have a lot more to catch up with the rest of our peers," Whitehouse said, explaining why English language learners face special instructional needs.

Board members asked for more detail on substitutes, retention and acceleration strategies. Whitehouse said dual‑enrollment access has contracted (fewer on‑campus dual‑enrollment offerings) and that some schools are moving ACE General Paper into junior year so seniors are not relying on a single late senior‑year exam for acceleration credits. Board members asked for more data on lowest‑quartile students and attendance correlations; staff said they would provide supplemental information.

Ending: Staff said they will continue tiered support (tier 1 maintenance, tier 2 targeted coaching, tier 3 intensive weekly support) and that the district will push stronger attendance interventions and early learning/retention decisions where appropriate. Officials said final 2025 graduation rate data will be posted in the fall once survey reporting is complete.

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