Downingtown presentations outline Year 2 of strategic plan; district to expand full-day kindergarten, adopt I Ready as universal screener

Superintendent Dr. O'Donnell and district staff told the Downingtown Area School District board that Year 2 of the district's five‑year strategic plan will emphasize student safety and belonging, curriculum alignment, and new assessment tools.

The presentation outlined several near‑term changes, including expansion of full‑day kindergarten, adoption of I Ready as the district's universal reading and math screener for grades K–6, new behavioral data tools for elementary schools and Marsh Creek, and a district task force to produce a K–12 portrait of a graduate.

The changes are intended to align instruction and supports to data collected across schools. "We're gonna be utilizing the previous year's data as all of our decisions and alignment with the strategic plan have to align in data, to drive our continuous improvement for student staff experiences," Dr. O'Donnell said.

Nut graf: The shift matters because it changes how the district identifies students for intervention and how it measures progress. The board heard specifics on assessments, social‑emotional and climate work, and curricular reviews that district staff say will guide decisions during the coming school year and beyond.

Key details:

- Full‑day kindergarten: The district reported 840 full‑day kindergartners enrolled so far this year. Staff said they will monitor curriculum and scheduling impacts and may adjust first‑grade designs as that cohort advances.

- I Ready as universal screener: District staff said the I Ready diagnostic — already part of the new math curriculum — will replace AIMSweb as the K–6 universal benchmark and screener. "We're actually... replacing AIMSweb with I Ready," a curriculum leader said, adding that the district will retain some AIMSweb licenses for progress monitoring of students with Individualized Education Programs.

- Student climate and belonging: The district will roll out a "belongingness toolkit" developed by a student engagement task force and have all 16 school climate teams implement the toolkit in coordination with building administrators. Staff said schools will continue restorative practices training and classroom management professional development.

- Behavioral data tools: The district will implement SWIS (Schoolwide Information System) to graph and analyze behavioral incident data and develop a consistent incident reporting form within Infinite Campus. Staff said this work is tied to PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) efforts in elementary schools and Marsh Creek.

- Portrait of a graduate and graduation requirements: The district will launch a K–12 portrait of a graduate task force composed of students, teachers, staff and later parents and community members; the task force will also consider whether graduation requirements (policy 2.17 and 2.17.1) need revision. A staff member said task‑force membership will be finalized by Sept. 15 and that the group will intersect with graduation requirements work during the year.

- Curriculum review and assessments: Staff described near completion of a K–8 math curriculum implementation and continued work on 9–12 resources, with I Ready providing diagnostic and benchmark data. The district also plans a mastery learning/retesting practice at both comprehensive high schools and an update to the district's administrative guideline for homework governed by policy 130 (the guideline was last updated in 02/2012, staff said).

District staff said the changes will be monitored and adjusted as data come in. "We will bring that forward to you this fall" when final state achievement data are available, Dr. O'Donnell said.

Ending: Board members asked clarifying questions about implementation details and committee composition for the portrait of a graduate work. Staff said more detailed updates and implementation timelines will appear at future meetings and in board updates.