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Stratham Memorial shows substantial spring gains; leaders plan earlier testing window for fifth grade
Summary
District presenters reported preliminary spring SAS and i-Ready results showing strong year-over-year gains across elementary grades, particularly in math; administrators said the data are preliminary, reflected whole-school improvements and prompted plans to shift assessment timing to reduce fifth-grade testing fatigue.
District administrators presented preliminary spring assessment results showing substantial gains across multiple grades and measures and said they will change the timing of some tests next year to reduce end-of-year testing pressure.
Presenters said Stratham outperformed state averages on preliminary third- through fifth-grade SAS (state assessment) measures. The district presentation reported the following preliminary comparisons cited by speakers at the meeting: third-grade ELA 64% (state 49%); fourth-grade ELA 74% (state 53%); fifth-grade ELA 70% (state 57%). In math, presenters reported third-grade 76% (state 52%), fourth-grade 77% (state 52%) and fifth-grade 71% (state 40%). The presenters characterized the schoolwide math result as a notable increase from the prior year (packet figures showed a prior-year schoolwide math percent in the mid‑50s and this year at 74%).
Administrators cautioned that the SAS figures shared were preliminary; statewide, official scores are embargoed until the Department of Education releases final data (typically in the autumn). They said families already have access to student-level results through the family portal, and the district is sharing school-level numbers on that basis.
Staff emphasized that the district looks at multiple measures, not a single test. Presenters cited i-Ready (reading and math) and a universal number-sense screener as part of a triangulated approach. i-Ready growth data were described as "well above typical growth" in several grades; the presenter said, "our students made more than their typical growth," and credited the district's MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support), curriculum alignment, and targeted interventions.
Administrators also flagged assessment timing as an issue in the fifth grade. Staff said the fifth-grade i-Ready window ran late in the year and that students — who were taking multiple assessments, attending field trips and preparing for year-end showcases — experienced testing fatigue. To address that, the district will move some benchmarking earlier in the year and create a longer assessment window so the spring cycle is less concentrated.
Board members and parents praised teachers and staff for the results. District leaders said they will refine assessment windows and continue to use multiple data points for planning and interventions.
