East Ramapo presents diagnostic data showing majority of middle-schoolers below grade level, plans audits and coaching
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Summary
The district's academic snapshot presented Renaissance STAR and i-Ready baseline data showing large shares of students in grades 6' 8 performing two to three or more grade levels below standards. District leaders outlined new curricula, expanded coaching, learning walks and plans for audits and interventions.
Dr. Ronald Gonzales, the district's director of science and one of the academic leads, told the board that initial i-Ready and Renaissance STAR diagnostic results show a substantial portion of tested middle-school students performing multiple grade levels below expectations.
"Only 63 students out of the total 2,125 students that were tested are testing at mid or above grade level," Gonzales said, describing a snapshot in which roughly 71 percent of tested middle-school students scored three or more grade levels below standard in reading and a similar majority in math diagnostics.
Gonzales outlined the district's immediate steps to address the data: adoption of evidence-based curricula (Wilson Foundations in early grades, ARC Core, Carnegie Learning Lenses for literature, I-Ready diagnostics), expanded professional development and coaching, deployment of ROSA Consulting to lead learning walks, and plans for a district-wide math audit via RFP. He also said the district conducted more than 790 instructional walk-throughs to date to inform targeted feedback for principals and teachers.
Board members asked about testing windows and participation rates; Gonzales said the baseline window opened in October, some students and grades missed assessments and the district is performing a data dive to reconcile participation with enrollment. He also noted early interventions such as a kindergarten "Jump Start" summer bridge program and said it was premature to attribute gains to any one program but that the early programs were showing signs of benefit at initial levels.
Superintendent Relusco and Dr. Gonzales emphasized the scale of the effort: increased coaching hours, professional learning for partners, and an explicit plan to build internal capacity so learning-walk practices and coaching can be sustained after the consulting contract ends.