Caledonia officials highlight student growth on state tests while noting remaining gaps
Summary
Dr. Diaz presented spring 2025 assessment results to the Caledonia Board of Education on Sept. 15, showing the district scored above the Michigan average on M-STEP and describing district priorities on growth, intervention and universal design for learning.
Dr. Diaz presented the Caledonia Community Schools' spring 2025 standardized assessment results to the board at its Sept. 15 meeting, saying the district has seen growth and remains committed to interventions that support students who are not yet proficient.
Dr. Diaz told the board that Caledonia's students outperformed the Michigan average on M-STEP and that the district is emphasizing growth measures as well as proficiency.
The presentation explained how the state reports scores and how the district uses multiple measures. Dr. Diaz said the district compares cohorts across grades to measure growth and uses index scores that include proficiency, growth, graduation rate, English-learner progress, school quality measures and assessment participation. She noted a state requirement that 95% of students participate in state assessments.
"We do tri-annual testing," Dr. Diaz said, describing benchmark and criterion-referenced assessments. She said the district looks at both students who are meeting grade-level standards and those who are making measurable growth from a lower starting point.
On M-STEP cohort comparisons, Dr. Diaz said Caledonia was about 25 percentage points higher than the state average in 2023-24 and about 36 percentage points higher in 2024-25, figures she presented to the board as evidence of comparative growth. She also said approximately 19% of the district's students were still not yet proficient and that the district must continue targeted interventions.
The presentation covered PSAT and SAT results for secondary grades and the district's approach to analyzing those scores. Dr. Diaz said the district will provide board members with comparable-district statistics at a future meeting.
Dr. Diaz outlined classroom and system-level responses: strengthening foundational instruction, expanding universal design for learning to provide multiple 'on-ramps' to curriculum, continuing intervention supports for grades young-fives through 4 and maintaining learning labs at Kraft and the high school. She said professional learning communities will continue to dig into essential standards and effective reteaching.
During board discussion, a board member asked whether the district could benchmark against higher-performing out-of-state districts. Dr. Diaz said comparing some state assessments is difficult because states use different tests and cut scores, but noted that PSAT and SAT results are comparable across states. She also said Caledonia will receive additional comparative data next month.
Dr. Diaz noted Caledonia will participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress this year at three district schools; she said that participation gives some national comparison data but does not test every school or every student.
The district's next steps, she said, are to continue focusing on growth, provide the requested comparative data to the board next month and refine intervention work where cohorts show gaps.
