Ralph R. Smith reports literacy program rollout and drop in chronic absenteeism

Ralph R. Smith Principal Matt Darling told the Hyde Park Central School District Board on Jan. 9 that the school has implemented new literacy strategies and other supports after being identified as a Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) school for students with disabilities.

The school adopted the UFLI phonics curriculum for kindergarten through second grade and is using it as a tier‑2 resource in grades three through five. Darling said teachers piloted the program last spring and that “we saw some really impressive results from that program early on.” He also described a planned midyear focus on evidence‑based writing strategies known as the Writing Revolution and continued differentiated literacy instruction for students at their current levels.

The changes are part of a three‑goal building plan that Darling said centers on stronger alignment with the science of reading, character development through PBIS (positive behavioral interventions and supports) and improved attendance. To support teachers, Ralph R. Smith brought in Dr. Katie Cunningham for classroom visits and grade‑level debriefs; Darling said she spent multiple full days in the building this year to observe and advise staff.

Darling presented fall‑to‑fall NWEA MAPS data showing districtwide improvements: the school’s average ELA percentile rose from about the 41st percentile in fall 2023 to the 45th percentile in fall 2024, and math similarly improved (roughly from the 42nd to the 45th percentile). He highlighted gains for the subgroup of students with disabilities, noting that that cohort’s average reading percentile rose from the 10th to the 23rd percentile over the year: “in the matter of in over the course of a year, we saw about a 13% gain in that area,” Darling said.

Darling cautioned that New York State Assessment proficiency comparisons are complicated by student population differences. He noted that third‑grade ELA proficiency at Ralph R. Smith was 27% last spring versus a state average of 43%, and that 44% of Ralph R. Smith’s third‑grade cohort were students with disabilities — a disproportion that makes direct comparison to statewide percentages imperfect.

On attendance, Darling said chronic absenteeism has fallen substantially at Ralph R. Smith in recent years: 33% in 2021–22, 23.5% in 2022–23, 18.5% in 2023–24 and 15.2% so far in the current year. He credited teachers, social‑emotional staff, and a new community schools liaison, Melissa Rosario, for sustained outreach and interventions.

Darling described several operational steps tied to the goals: explicit phonics instruction in K–2, tiered literacy supports in upper elementary, PBIS‑related “meaningful work” and schoolwide jobs, monthly attendance team meetings involving the school nurse and social‑emotional staff, and targeted supports for students with disabilities. He said the district will administer midyear MAPS diagnostic tests between Jan. 27 and Feb. 12 and use the data to adjust supports for the spring assessments.

Board members asked for more cohort tracking and substitute coverage data tied to AIS (academic intervention services). Darling said tier‑3 services are provided by certified teachers and are not typically pulled; tier‑2 interventions, delivered by teaching assistants, can be interrupted when substitutes are needed but the district is monitoring minutes pulled and seeking improvement.

The work at Ralph R. Smith remains part of the school’s TSI plan, Darling said, and he asked the board to support continued implementation and targeted coaches to sustain fidelity of instruction. He closed by offering to answer board questions and by thanking staff and families for their efforts.