CMS updates board on reading goal 2; middle school projections rise but remain below target

Superintendent Dr. Hill presented the board with an interim report on Goal 2—raising the percentage of students scoring college‑and‑career‑ready (CCR) on reading end‑of‑grade assessments in grades 3–8—focusing on students in grades 6–8.

The report showed districtwide projections that 30 percent of middle school students (grades 6–8) are currently projected to reach level 4 or 5 on the end‑of‑grade reading assessment at the end of the year, an increase of roughly 3 percentage points from last year’s actual performance for that cohort, though still below the district target for the year (37 percent). Dr. Hill told the board that across grades 3–8, 32 percent of the roughly 61,267 students assessed at the beginning of the year are projected to be level 4 or 5 at year’s end; the target for grades 3–8 this year is 37 percent.

The superintendent and staff emphasized measurement issues that affect comparisons across years: participation in benchmark assessments was 88 percent last year and rose to 95 percent this year; CMS applies a…