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Wichita interim academic results: elementary literacy goal missed; middle school math nearly met
Summary
District staff reported interim results on Goal 1 (academic achievement): elementary comprehension targets were not met using FastBridge screeners; 16 elementary schools met the interim target. Middle school math improved and missed its interim target by about 0.9 percentage points, with several schools exceeding their year-end goals.
District staff told the board on June 9 that interim measures under strategic Goal 1 showed mixed results: elementary comprehension did not meet the district’s interim target this year, while middle school math moved substantially and came within about one percentage point of its goal.
“Because the state changed the assessment this year, we pivoted to FastBridge screeners,” said Holly Wilson, who presented the goal updates. She said the district shifted to screeners while state assessment cut scores are set and that final state comparisons may be available in September or October.
Elementary: The district reported that the share of elementary students scoring in the district’s below‑benchmark bands rose from 56.6% (fall) to 61.9% (winter) and then 60.2% in spring; the district said the benchmark thresholds move over the year and that they did not meet the interim comprehension goal. Staff highlighted early literacy progress and credited foundational decoding work (LETRS professional learning) as groundwork that they expect to improve comprehension over time. The district named 16 elementary schools that met the interim target: Bostick Traditional Magnet, Riverside Leadership Magnet, Black Traditional Magnet, Kinzer, Hyde Leadership International Explorations Magnet, Benton, Earhart Environmental Magnet, College Hill, Minnehaha Core Knowledge Magnet, Seltzer, Price‑Harris Communications Magnet, Christa McAuliffe, Gammon, Peterson, McLean Science & Technology Magnet, and Horace Mann.
Middle school math: The district set an interim math goal for middle grades and reported progress from 68.1% non‑proficient at the start of the year to 60.4% in spring — a 7.7 percentage‑point improvement that left the district about 0.9 points shy of its stated interim target. Staff said 10 middle schools made progress and that nine of those met or exceeded the goal; the presentation named Truesdell (Truesdell/Truesdell spelled in transcript as Truesdell/Truesdell/Truesdell) and others as examples of progress.
Board members and staff discussed possible causes and next steps: staff emphasized quality core instruction (MTSS framework), diagnostic screening, tiered interventions, vocabulary instruction for math and reading comprehension, and teacher professional learning communities (PLCs) and principals’ PLCs that allow school leaders to see and replicate promising practice across buildings.
“No, we want quality core instruction,” Kelly Bielefeld, superintendent, said when asked about the district’s approach to interventions. Staff described a mix of scripted tier‑3 intervention programs for decoding and ongoing monitoring tools to check progress.
Staff said they will continue to track cohorts, refine diagnostic and instructional alignment, and report state assessment results once state cut scores are finalized.
