Kingston principal reports reading, dual-language gains and new targeted-support designation at Edson

Principal Kathy Law presented an overview of programs, demographics and interim assessment results at Harry L. Edson Elementary during the Kingston City School District Board of Education meeting. Law said Edson currently enrolls 415 students and identified 58 students as English learners; she named Spanish as the primary home language, followed by speakers of a Mayan language. She described daily social-and-emotional learning practices, the school's PBIS incentives and family engagement events such as a World Read Aloud Day that drew about 45 community readers.

Law said the school is piloting Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) in selected kindergarten through second-grade classrooms and uses American Reading Company materials in its dual-language classrooms. "Our CKLA classes are doing really, really well," Law said, and she added that the dual-language classrooms are generally the next-highest performing group on the measures she presented. She reported 83 students currently enrolled in the dual-language program and described week-by-week instruction that alternates English and Spanish writing assignments.

On assessments, Law presented i-Ready fall baseline and midyear figures. She said fall K'through'4 proficiency was about 23 percent and that roughly 30 percent of students were three or more grade levels below in the fall. Midyear figures showed improvement: Law reported 61 percent of K'through'4 students progressing toward their annual growth goal, 43 percent meeting grade-level expectations and 16 percent still three or more levels below. For math, she said fall proficiency was about 7 percent and midyear figures showed about 24 percent on grade level and 53 percent of students at typical annual growth. Law also reported that about 11 percent of students had met or exceeded the district's stretch growth goal so far this year.

Law told the board Edson has been "newly designated targeted support and improvement" (TSI) because of outcomes for its Hispanic subgroup and is a potential TSI for Black and multiracial subgroups; she said the building leadership team will meet twice monthly to analyze subgroup data and refine interventions. Law described next steps that include focusing on testing participation, strengthening skills measured on New York State ELA and math exams, and continuing dual measures (i-Ready and American Reading Company) for program monitoring.

Board members thanked Law and raised questions about curriculum alignment and program supports. Trustee Doctor Combs asked about the relationship between CKLA and the dual-language program; Law said the district uses American Reading Company for dual-language classrooms rather than CKLA, noting both are informed by the science of reading. Trustee Mister Reiner highlighted the school's "think sheet" used as part of PBIS and restorative responses. The superintendent and trustees said they will continue to monitor subgroup progress and support the school's planned interventions.

The board did not take any formal action on the presentation; the material was presented as part of the superintendent's report.