Auburn district reports steady proficiency, flags multilingual-learners and special-education groups for attention

Superintendent Dr. Sue Doris told the Auburn School Committee on Jan. 22 that the district’s fall 2024 NWEA results showed modest declines from the prior year — districtwide reading proficiency fell to about 81% from 84% and math to about 78% from 80% — while chronic absenteeism remained a concern at roughly 25% districtwide.

“Tonight we are pleased to present our state of the schools report,” Dr. Doris said, introducing principals from every building who summarized school-level results, family-engagement metrics and building-specific priorities.

Principals reported consistently strong parent–teacher conference participation — commonly in the high 80s and mid-90s percent range — and several bright spots. Sherwood Heights Principal Mike Davis highlighted a 94% parent-conference rate and said interventions and family engagement are reducing chronic absenteeism there. Park Avenue Principal Stephanie Maris and East Auburn Principal Michelle Gagne said their schools have increased family engagement and are digging into subgroup data to support students identified as below proficiency.

At the secondary level, Edward Little Principal Val Ackley reported increases in advanced-course access: 152 students took 247 AP exams this year (up from 107 students and 186 exams last year), and dual-enrollment and early-college participation also rose. Ackley said those enrollment increases reflect intentional outreach and guidance conversations to encourage students from underrepresented groups to take college-level work.

Franklin School reported grant-funded, nonacademic programs — wilderness education, trauma-informed yoga and an aerobic-for-academics program — that have engaged about 60% of students and produced partnerships with Bates College for evaluation. Franklin also noted a continuing focus on career and college readiness, including welding and job-boot-camp offerings.

Multiple principals flagged two consistent subgroup challenges: students receiving special-education services and multilingual learners (MLL). Park Avenue and several elementary principals explained testing rules that affect MLL reporting — students in the U.S. less than a year typically do not take the reading assessment but do take math — and said that practice and recent enrollment growth in MLL cohorts complicate year-to-year comparisons.

Washburn and other elementary principals described strengthened tiered-intervention systems, declines in major office referrals at some schools, and targeted additions of counseling and family-outreach capacity to improve attendance and behavior. Middle-school principal Ben Wilson said AMS increased free/reduced lunch documentation to over 90% and is expanding a new MLL organizational approach that tracks growth weekly.

Edward Little and district leaders emphasized the district’s graduation gains: Edward Little reported a 94.8% graduation rate for the most recent class, which district leaders said is the highest they have recorded and places Auburn among the higher-performing districts in the state.

Superintendent Doris closed by thanking staff and coaches for districtwide supports — literacy and math coaches, expanded career-technical offerings and partnerships — while reiterating that MLL and special-education outcomes remain central priorities for additional investment and programming.