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Phoenix Elementary leaders outline math recovery plan after mixed proficiency results
Summary
District staff told the governing board third-grade math proficiency rose to 32% (below a 35% target) while middle‑school proficiency fell to 14%; the district described a multi-part plan of coaching, hands‑on instruction and more frequent progress monitoring.
At a Phoenix Elementary District governing board meeting, district leaders presented math proficiency results and a multi‑year recovery plan after mixed gains in early grades and declines in middle grades. The presentation covered third‑grade results, middle‑school outcomes and specific interventions the district plans to implement this school year.
District Superintendent Dr. Gonzales told the board the district set five‑year proficiency goals when the governing board adopted them and that the math targets were informed by prior performance and family feedback. “If we hit our target this year, we would be at 35 percent,” Dr. Gonzales said, summarizing the board’s five‑year aim for early mathematics proficiency. He and staff emphasized the work will include monitoring interim measures and adjusting coaching and curriculum as needed.
Dr. Galletti, a cabinet presenter on math, reported third‑grade proficiency from the most recent assessments reached 32 percent, short of the 35 percent target but up from prior years. “We actually came in at 32 percent of our students passing on the third grade,” Dr. Galletti said, noting the state average dropped 2 percent and that the district’s gain moves it closer to the state than in past years. The third‑grade cohort cited in the presentation included 436 students: 332 Hispanic students, 31 African American students, 32 white students and smaller counts in other groups.
Staff singled out two subgroups for additional support: students receiving special education services and English learners. Dr. Galletti said those groups fell short of subgroup targets (district slide: expected ~21–22 percent for those subgroups; actuals were lower, at about 10–15 percent for these groups).
District Math Coach Susan (last name not provided) and other presenters highlighted classroom‑level strategies that drove gains at higher‑performing campuses. Susan described hands‑on manipulatives and planning practices for teachers as part of the strategy: “They’re found the setting the foundation for the conceptual understanding so that then students can go more abstract,” she said, describing base‑10 blocks and similar tools used to make abstract symbols tangible for early learners.
On middle grades, Dr. Gonzales and Dr. Galletti reported backsliding. The district’s middle‑school proficiency rate fell to 14 percent (from 16 percent the previous year), below the 22 percent annual target needed to reach a 38 percent five‑year goal. Dr. Galletti called the trend “urgent” and said the state has shown similar stagnation since 2022.
To address middle‑grade math, staff described a package of interventions: assigning coaches specifically to upper grades, giving district math coach Susan direct oversight of middle‑grade teachers, expanding use of manipulatives and language strategies for word‑problem comprehension, launching a middle‑school math task force, revising pacing guides, providing quarterly professional learning, increasing progress monitoring frequency, and piloting/adopting targeted software (MyPath) and other supports. The district also plans to identify candidates for accelerated courses (algebra) using diagnostics and prior AASA performance and to continue using Khan Academy for self‑paced algebra experiences where appropriate.
Board members asked about variability among schools and about the lingering effects of the COVID‑era learning interruption. President Carmen Trujillo congratulated staff on gains and asked what interventions would follow; board members asked why some campuses (Emerson, Shaw, Magnet) outperform others and requested more cohort‑level data. Staff said factors include instructional model differences, teacher qualifications and site practices and agreed to provide campus‑specific cohort comparisons on request.
The board approved the district’s progress‑monitoring reports for Board Goal 2 (early years math) and Board Goal 5 (middle‑years math). Roll calls showed Dr. Alicia Vink voting no on both goal approvals; other members voted aye. Staff said the work will return to the board regularly for updates.
The district framed the effort as a systemwide, multi‑year “full court press” combining targeted coaching, adjusted pacing, increased monitoring and classroom practices to improve conceptual math understanding.
