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District presents new assessment data, cites iReady diagnostics and pilot full-day kindergarten gains
Summary
District staff presented consolidated assessment and diagnostic data showing growth since the start of the school year, described use of iReady diagnostics and progress monitoring, and outlined curriculum review plans and next steps for teacher data meetings.
Mr. Umberger, speaking for district instructional staff, reviewed the district’s new assessment approach and what the administration described as the first year the district has had comprehensive, diagnostic data available across grades.
“Because if you don't have data, you just have opinions,” Mr. Umberger said, explaining why the district adopted diagnostic testing alongside benchmarks and progress monitoring.
The presentation explained differences between diagnostic assessments (which adapt to a student’s level and identify specific skill weaknesses) and benchmark assessments (standardized grade‑level checks). The district has run three training sessions on iReady, the diagnostic platform the administration piloted and then adopted this school year. Staff said iReady produces both diagnostic grade‑level placement and domain breakdowns (for example, phonological awareness, vocabulary and comprehension) that teachers are using to target instruction.
Key numbers and examples: - Elementary-wide diagnostic results from December showed mid-or-above grade-level rates rising from roughly 6% at the start of the year to about 16% in December for the cohort reported by staff. - Progress monitoring was implemented in January, and the district is loading diagnostic and benchmark results into a data warehouse for year‑over‑year tracking. - Kindergarten pilot of full‑day kindergarten is producing higher attendance and stronger early phonics/phonemic awareness results compared with half‑day classes, the administration said.
How the district is using the data: Teachers have classroom-level access to color-coded dashboards and use them in grade‑level and individual data meetings. Administrators described a quadrant analysis that places grade‑level performance by achievement and growth (high/high, high/low, low/high, low/low) to prioritize classroom and school interventions.
Curriculum cycle and next steps: The administration said math and science have been recently updated, social studies review is underway this year, and English/language arts curriculum review and resource procurement is scheduled in the upcoming curriculum cycle (administration estimated the ELA cycle will begin in about 18 months). The district is also piloting a new benchmark (Firefly) in some courses, including Algebra I.
Student experience and administration notes: The diagnostic is online for older students; kindergarten through second-grade components include one‑on‑one checks (letter naming, letter-sound fluency and pseudo‑word decoding). Staff emphasized that some diagnostic elements are computer-adaptive while other early-literacy checks remain person-administered.
Board members praised the work and asked that the administration continue teacher training and data meetings; administrators said they will continue rolling out training, conduct individual teacher meetings and use the data to refine instructional supports.
