Novi district highlights gains on state tests, flags math curriculum review and 11th-grade science anomaly

Laura Bidlak, the district’s director of elementary education, presented the Novi Community School District’s spring 2025 state assessment results to the board on Sept. 18, saying the district recorded top SAT scores in Oakland County for both English language arts and math while also identifying uneven performance across grades and subgroups.

Bidlak told trustees that “Novi students earned the top SAT scores in all of Oakland County for ELA and math.” She also highlighted specific subgroup gains, including increases for Black and African American students in several grades and a large gain for Hispanic students in 11th‑grade math. At the same time, she and district leaders said they have “wonderings” about math trends and noted an anomalous drop in 11th‑grade science that appears linked to test‑day technical problems.

The district says the findings matter because state assessments provide a broad, system‑level view of student outcomes and can prompt curriculum and instructional changes. Bidlak urged trustees that the results be used as a starting point for targeted follow‑up rather than as a day‑to‑day…