Creighton board adopts student-outcomes goals, guardrails and progress-monitoring calendar

The Creighton Elementary District governing board approved four student-outcomes goals, associated interim measures and a progress-monitoring calendar and voted to adopt the superintendent's annual evaluation during a business meeting. Board members voted unanimously to adopt the measures after several hours of review and a study session earlier in the week.

The measures target outcomes through 2028, including reducing the share of eighth-graders who score “minimally proficient” in math and increasing proficiency for Black eighth-graders, emerging multilingual learners’ language acquisition and third-grade reading. Dr. Pambo told the board the first goal “is the one where we decrease minimally proficient in math for all eighth graders,” and read the annual target into the record: “the percent of eighth grade students that score minimally proficient on the state math assessment will decrease from 73 percent in August to 48 percent by August 2028.”

Why it matters: the district framed the goals as multi-year targets linked to state assessments and interim classroom measures intended to give earlier signals about student progress. Board President Carrillo emphasized that the monitoring calendar and interim measures are tools for the board and the public to track whether district strategies are producing results.

Board discussion and evidence: district staff presented final state-assessment results and explained changes to interim measures and cut scores after a six-hour Saturday study session with cabinet members and principals. Superintendent Mann and Dr. Pambo described a shift from uniform cut scores to grade- and subject-specific cut scores designed to increase the statistical correlation between benchmark assessments and the state tests. Dr. Pambo said the district is aiming for a “strong correlation” so classroom benchmarks better predict annual outcomes.

Several numerical targets cited in the presentation include: - Goal 1 (math, all eighth graders): reduce minimally proficient from 73% (Aug baseline) to 48% (Aug 2028); the district reported a 2024–25 final state assessment where 79% were minimally proficient (goal for the upcoming year was 71%). - Goal 2 (Black eighth graders, math proficiency): annual target increase from 6% to 13% by 2028; the district reported meeting the prior year’s 6% interim target. - Goal 3 (emerging multilingual learners, AzELLA growth): target increase from 25% to 40% by 2028; the district reported 35% moved one or more levels on the AzELLA this past year. - Goal 4 (third-grade reading proficiency): increase from 18% to 41% by 2028; the district reported a 13% proficiency this year and emphasized new interim measures focused on oral reading fluency to better track progress.

Guardrails: the board adopted guardrails with their own interim measures tied to attendance, social-emotional indicators, culturally responsive practice pilots, special education student participation in IEP meetings and classroom-engagement indicators measured by learning-walk rubrics. For example, the board adopted an interim attendance target that raises average daily attendance from a 79% baseline to an 82% target the following May.

Votes at a glance: - Motion: Approve goals 1–4 with interim measures. Outcome: approved (unanimous). Tally: 5–0 yes, 0–0 no. - Motion: Approve the annual goal progress report. Outcome: approved (unanimous). Tally: 5–0 yes, 0–0 no. - Motion: Approve the Creighton SOFG progress-monitoring calendar for school years (25–26 through 27–28). Outcome: approved (unanimous). Tally: 5–0 yes, 0–0 no. - Motion: Approve the superintendent annual evaluation for school year 24–25. Outcome: approved (unanimous). Tally: 5–0 yes, 0–0 no. - Motion: Approve consent agenda (items a–h). Outcome: approved (unanimous). Tally: 5–0 yes, 0–0 no.

Board members asked for small calendar edits (moving or clarifying items in August and June and the SOFG self-evaluation instrument) and directed staff to return with refined language and a revised monitoring calendar as needed. Several board members and the superintendent described the public nature of the monitoring and their intent to present results to the community between now and December. Superintendent Mann and Dr. Pambo said the district will provide progress-monitoring reports to the board at scheduled intervals and post monitoring dates on the district website.

Ending: Board members said they will take the adopted goals and guardrails into the community and report back, and staff will return with the first progress-monitoring reports according to the new calendar.