Centennial SD presents fall local assessment snapshot; staff note K readiness decline and cohort gains

Centennial School District staff presented the fall 2025 local assessment results at the Oct. 28 meeting, reviewing DIBELS (K–3), IReady (K–8 reading and math tiers) and IXL (grades 9–10) diagnostics.

Presenters described the DIBELS composite as a scaled score benchmarked to national norms and reported that kindergarten cohorts have come in below the national beginning-of-year benchmark in two of the last three years, while first through third grades showed three-year trends at or above their national beginning-of-year benchmarks. For IReady, staff displayed tier distributions (Tier 1 at or above grade level; Tier 2 one grade below; Tier 3 two or more grades below) and reported that district Tier 3 numbers are decreasing across K–8 reading and math, indicating movement into less-intensive supports.

For grades 9–10 IXL diagnostics, staff showed cohort comparisons: the current ninth-grade cohort’s beginning-of-year scores increased compared with last year, and tenth-grade scores were generally holding steady with a small dip in writing and a slight decline in geometry for the current tenth-grade cohort.

Staff emphasized curricular coherence and layered evidence-based supports — coaches, reading and math specialists, Office of Teaching and Learning personnel, and student services — as drivers of the gains. They also flagged a district-level concern: declining kindergarten readiness, which they described as an external factor the district plans to explore with targeted early-learning interventions.

Administration said a fuller picture, including state assessment results (PVAAS growth and Keystone/PSSA outcomes), will be presented to the board in November. Staff emphasized that the diagnostic tools measure students against end-of-year expectations even at the start of the year, which is why many students initially appear below the benchmark but can make measurable growth with tiered supports.