Lincoln County Schools report midyear I‑Ready gains in reading; district plans math professional development

The Lincoln County Board of Education on March 4 heard midyear assessment results showing countywide reading gains and preliminary math improvements, district staff said.

Miss Shortridge, instructional staff, told the board the county grew from 19% to 35% of K–8 students at or above grade level on the I‑Ready reading benchmark, a change staff characterized as progress despite recent weather‑related school closures. "We grew from 19% from the first benchmark to 35%, meaning students are at or above grade level in the county K through 8," Shortridge said.

Shortridge and Barnett described how the district has emphasized the state‑aligned science of reading and targeted interventions. Shortridge said the district has moved "261 kids, essentially, to the left in reading, meaning we've got them out of one domain and into the next," and that there are "76 less kids three grade levels below or more" compared with the start of the year. She also highlighted special education subgroup gains at individual schools: Midway's fourth‑grade special education subgroup now has 50% reading on grade level and Midway fifth grade has 38% on grade level, she said.

District staff said math growth is smaller but notable. Shortridge reported the county increased from 9% to 22% of students at or above grade level in math on the midyear benchmark and said the district moved about 212 students leftward on the math proficiency chart ("72 less kids in the third three grade levels below or more, 94 less than two, 46 less than one," she summarized). She cautioned that the system focused earlier on reading and will increase emphasis on math instruction and intervention.

Board members pressed for grade‑level detail and asked whether older elementary grades lag behind younger cohorts. Shortridge said district data show stronger on‑level percentages in K–2 and that interventions for grades 4–5 and special education began only this school year.

To support math improvement, staff described an upcoming two‑day professional development session for K–8 teachers focused on mathematical practices and classroom design, emphasizing manipulatives and scaffolded intervention. Shortridge said the PD is scheduled for the end of the month and will be based on the district's review of classroom needs and the state's recommendations.

Staff also described local "data dives"—school‑level sessions with principals and specialists to review attendance, behavior and assessment results—that informed the PD and intervention planning. Shortridge said the district purchased Newsela to provide reading comprehension resources aligned with students now ready to read for meaning rather than "learning to read."