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Middletown reports AP pass-rate gains, expands program reviews and special-education summer services
Summary
The superintendent reported an increase in AP scores to about 81% scoring a 3 or higher, Annenberg Institute will review the Beyond the Bell program, and student services reported 68 students enrolled in extended school year services.
Superintendent Billy Niemeyer told the Middletown School Committee on July 17 that Advanced Placement participation and scores rose substantially this year, and staff are continuing program reviews and summer special-education services.
Niemeyer reported the district offered 18 AP course sections and that more than 272 AP tests were taken this year; about 81% of those tests scored a 3 or higher, up from about 57% in 2021. He noted that many passing scores can translate to college credit in some institutions.
Niemeyer said the district has begun a review of its Beyond the Bell after the Annenberg Institute at Brown University offered to help evaluate program implementation. The district has administered surveys as part of that review; staff reported strong participation by multilingual learner families in the surveys and said parents and students most often cite academic support (math and ELA) as the reason they participate.
From student services, the committee heard that 68 students are enrolled in the district's extended school year (ESY) program at Gaudet for summer services. Staff said they are finalizing caseloads, planning fall professional development, and working to maintain compliance with state and federal requirements.
Committee members asked about the timeline to hire the assistant director of student services; staff said the position had not yet been posted, would remain open for two weeks once posted, and interviews would follow promptly with the goal of filling the role before the administrative retreat and the start of the school year.
The superintendent said one area of focus for the coming year will be lesson design and strategies that increase student engagement, responding to survey data that middle-school students reported lower enjoyment of learning compared with other groups.
