East Haven superintendent presents K–12 performance review; math and student mobility flagged as priorities

East Haven School District Superintendent Adam delivered a K–12 performance review to the school board focused on Smarter Balanced, DIBELS and other assessments, saying the district has made modest gains in English language arts but “math is a more concerning area” that requires a comprehensive response.

The presentation, led by district staff members Adam and Lisa, summarized three-year trends in ELA, math and science, disaggregated subgroup performance (multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and those designated high needs) and program responses such as writing supports, summer programming and curriculum reviews. The district reported steady but small increases in ELA growth (57.9% of target in 2018–19 to 60.8% in 2024–25) and said it slightly surpassed the state’s growth index (state 60.6, district 60.8).

Why it matters: the review showed persistent opportunity gaps for high‑needs students (about 72% of the district’s grades 3–8 population was designated high needs), uneven cohort progress, and a districtwide math trend that has not achieved the same steady gains as ELA. Administrators told the board these patterns inform curriculum adoption decisions and prioritized professional learning for teachers.

Key findings and district actions - Multilingual learners: the district’s multilingual learner (ML) population rose from 297 in 2021–22 to 408 last year. The district emphasized use of the LAS Links English‑language proficiency assessment to target reading,…