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WESD reports year-over-year gains in K–8 diagnostics; district highlights tier‑1 instruction and small-group strategies
Summary
District curriculum staff presented end-of-year K–8 assessment results showing gains in foundational reading and math diagnostics, median student growth above a year in several grades, and recommendations emphasizing tier‑1 instruction, targeted small groups and personalized learning platforms.
District curriculum staff presented the Washington Elementary School District Governing Board with a summary of 2024–25 benchmark and diagnostic results on July 24, reporting measurable gains across multiple grades and renewed emphasis on tier‑1 instruction, targeted small-group interventions and use of personalized learning tools.
Paula McCarter, director of curriculum and instruction, led the presentation with content specialists Karen Creel (math), Lauren Schragel (language arts and social studies) and Joan Rolfes (ELA). The presenters reviewed K–3 curriculum‑based measures and Renaissance STAR diagnostics, Benchmark Advance interim results in primary grades, McGraw Hill StudySync benchmarks in middle school and i‑Ready math diagnostics.
Key results presented by McCarter and her staff included: - Kindergarten: a 12 percentage‑point increase in the share of students at or above grade level on the cited measures compared with the prior year; STAR early‑literacy benchmark percent‑correct improved 35% from beginning to end of year. McCarter said kindergarten growth is aided by small‑group and intensive foundational work in early grades. - Grades 1–3: steady movement of students out of "urgent intervention" categories and into higher performance bands; grade‑level interim performance gains ranged from mid‑teens to 35% depending on grade and measure. - Grades 4–6 (ELA): several grades reached or exceeded a median student growth percentile (SGP) of 50; fifth grade reached a 50 SGP median. - Middle school ELA (grades 7–8): seventh grade SGP exceeded 55; district reported double‑digit percentage gains on benchmark items for some cohorts. - Math (districtwide): fall‑to‑spring comparisons showed the proportion of students in green (on/above grade level) rising and the proportion in the lowest categories declining. Districtwide math placement moved from roughly 10% green at fall to 39% green at spring in one displayed chart; year‑to‑year end‑of‑year math green increased from 33% to 38% (a 5 percentage‑point gain). McCarter noted the district is in its second year of a new math adoption and said results are improving year over year. - Growth measures: median typical growth across the district was reported as 108% (median child in the middle of the distribution), and 27% of students met their i‑Ready stretch growth goal for the year. The presentation emphasized that consecutive years of stretch growth materially increase the probability that a student will reach grade‑level proficiency.
McCarter summarized instructional priorities to continue progress: strong, accessible tier‑1 classroom instruction for every student; planned and monitored small‑group interventions; use of personalized online instruction with teacher oversight; and classroom practices that foster "productive struggle" and purposeful questioning. "We really focus on that tier 1 instruction," McCarter said. She also showed how students who met stretch growth in two consecutive years were far more likely to be at or above grade level.
Board members asked substantive questions during and after the presentation. Board member Tamilia Gosa Chapa raised concerns about the presentation's accessibility to the public and asked how student voice and perceptions of classroom pressure were being addressed; McCarter and Dr. Hightower said the district encourages classroom cultures that celebrate learning from mistakes and that school‑level teams should continue to collect student feedback. Peterson suggested splitting large data presentations across meetings so board members and the public can process the material.
The presentation included program names and measures used in reporting: Renaissance STAR and STAR Early Literacy, Benchmark Advance interims, McGraw Hill StudySync benchmarks, and i‑Ready diagnostics. McCarter said administrators and instructional coaches are already working with principals on targeted action plans, and staff will return with more school‑level detail when the governing board sets district goals.
Ending: District staff framed the data as evidence of early and continuing improvement while acknowledging uneven results across grades and subgroups. The board asked staff to provide more disaggregated and school‑level data and to show the impact of specific interventions on student groups such as long‑term English learners.
