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JPS presents midyear school-improvement data; district identifies gaps in ELA instruction depth
Summary
Jackson Public Schools administrators told the board that district benchmarks show math and science gains but ELA proficiency slipped in several middle schools; officials blamed gaps in teaching the full depth of standards and delayed data entry at one school.
Jackson Public Schools administrators presented midyear school-improvement benchmark data to the Board of Trustees on Jan. 20, 2025, saying math and science showed gains while several middle schools saw a drop in reading proficiency.
The update focused on schools identified for comprehensive support and targeted support. Administrators said benchmark updates, enrollment, attendance and disciplinary data were reviewed to help school leaders monitor progress and target interventions.
Dr. Regina Scott, the district's executive director of school support, and Dr. Buchanan led the presentation and answers to board questions. Dr. Buchanan said the drop in English language arts performance at several middle schools reflected a districtwide trend and a “problem of practice” rather than a single-school failure. “Problem of practice for ELA across our network is just really supporting our teachers to make sure that they are covering the all the learning targets of every standard and not just some learning targets,” he said.
Administrators said item-level analysis of assessments showed teachers were covering standards generally but not consistently covering every subskill or depth required by the standards. One example cited: students were taught to identify main ideas and supporting details in single texts but had less practice comparing those elements across two texts — a skill some benchmark items required.
The presentation also addressed a data-entry gap at Powell Middle School. District staff said Powell had not yet uploaded benchmark 2 entries to the online data wall when the board first reviewed the report; Powell’s later entry showed a benchmark 2 proficiency of about 32 percent, an increase from benchmark 1.
Board members asked about differences in how math and ELA supports operate. Administrators said math’s high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) and pacing provided clearer, more discrete guidance that coaches and teachers could follow, producing faster observable gains. By contrast, ELA instruction often requires layered, cumulative skill-building that may be harder to isolate and accelerate over a single term.
The board did not take any formal action on the item; administrators said they will continue monthly content sessions, teacher supports, and benchmark monitoring and will report benchmark 3 results when available.
The discussion included requests from trustees for continued item-level analysis and targeted coaching so teachers address the full breadth and depth of each standard.
