Savannah-Chatham County board hears literacy presentation as AMIRA scores show large year-over-year gains

Savannah‑Chatham County Board of Education members received an extended presentation and discussion on foundational literacy, AMIRA assessment results and related policies during the district’s accountability meeting. Staff said the district’s school‑year 2025 foundational‑literacy Key Performance Indicator (KPI) — the percentage of kindergarten through second‑grade students meeting or exceeding expected growth on Amira Reading Mastery (ARM) — was 68%, exceeding the district target of 51%.

Why it matters: Board members and staff said K–3 literacy outcomes drive longer‑term student success benchmarks such as third‑grade reading and state growth measures; the session focused on how to interpret ARM scores, how the district is using results to target interventions and what policy changes (grading, promotion/retention) the board might consider.

District presentation and data Dr. May, who led the data explanation, told the board: "This KPI reflects the percentage of students in grades kindergarten through second who meet or exceed expected growth in their AMIRA reading mastery scores." Staff explained the ARM score is a composite linked to the science of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension) and that the ARM format (for example, "2.5") signals grade level and month of the school year. The KPI counts students as meeting expected growth either by maintaining or increasing their ARM percentile rank from beginning to end of year or by remaining in the above‑grade‑level percentile band (roughly the 76th–99th percentile).

For school year 2025 the district reported a 68% rate of kindergarten–second graders meeting or exceeding expected growth (a 19‑point gain from the prior year and 17 percentage points above the district…