Quakertown committee reviews midyear student performance; administration highlights kindergarten gains and concerns about new test item types

The Quakertown Community School District presented midyear academic data to the education committee on March 10, emphasizing growth in early literacy and foundational math while flagging comparability issues because LinkIt benchmarks now include technology-enhanced items.

Doctor Hoffman, a district administrator leading the presentation, told the committee the district shifted to a cohort-style analysis that tracks the same students from the beginning to the middle of the year to better capture individual growth. Doctor Alexa Carter and other staff then reviewed results from DIBELS/Acadience screeners and LinkIt benchmarks used K–12.

The presentation reported large kindergarten gains in early literacy: Dr. Alexa Carter said kindergarten more than doubled the percentage of students at or above benchmark from the start of the year to midyear. Several elementary grades also showed 10–20 percentage point increases in reading and math screeners. Dr. Hoffman credited a district change of tier‑1 resources (UFLI), professional development including LETRS training, and expanded coaching for the gains.

Staff cautioned that LinkIt benchmark scores in grades 3–10 were lower overall than last year because this year’s benchmarks included technology‑enhanced items (TEIs) such as drag‑and‑drop and multi‑select. "This is a different test," Dr. Alexa Carter said, and she described targeted practice and teacher supports to build students’ familiarity with TEIs ahead of PSSA administration. Board members pressed for comparative information: Mr. Kern asked whether LinkIt provided an average drop from TEI inclusion; staff said they would request any available research from the vendor.

On math, staff reported growth on Acadience math screeners districtwide, with midpoint rates moving from about 57% at or above benchmark at beginning of year to 72% overall at midyear in some grades. Middle-level math showed smaller gains (about 10% in grades 6–8), prompting reallocation of WIN/Bridal time and use of IXL for targeted practice.

Staff walked the committee through district interventions and next steps: continued coaching, ongoing professional development, unit-by-unit curriculum feedback, use of progress monitoring for students needing tier‑2 supports, and targeted TEI practice. Kelly Kramer, identified in the presentation as the elementary supervisor, was singled out for coordinating professional development and unit feedback.

Board members asked practical questions. Mr. O'Donnell requested regional comparisons; staff recommended an 80% at‑or‑above target for an effective tier‑1 system (MTSS) rather than direct peer comparisons. Several members asked that the full slide deck and the longer LinkIt navigator report be posted in board docs for later review.

Staff emphasized the district’s approach is to use frequent benchmark and screener data to inform classroom instruction rather than relying only on end‑of‑year state results. "This presentation focuses specifically on midyear data," staff said; they described plans to provide end‑of‑year matched student growth data and to continue building teacher capacity to address TEIs.

The committee did not take formal action on the data at the meeting; staff said they would return final materials and suggested follow‑up items including vendor benchmarking information about TEI effects.