Leominster schools rise to 50% of targets but 10th-grade math prompts review of Agile Mind
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Summary
District officials told the committee Leominster moved from meeting 38% to 50% of its criterion-referenced targets, yet members raised alarm over a drop in 10th-grade math performance and asked staff to review the Agile Mind program and item-level MCAS standards.
Leominster Public Schools officials briefed the school committee on the district's 2025 accountability results and flagged a need for targeted work at the high-school level, particularly in 10th-grade mathematics.
Loreen Cipolla, presenting October 1 enrollment and accountability data, said the district—s criterion-referenced progress rose to 50% this year, up from 38% previously, and that the district—s overall classification is "not requiring assistance or intervention." The metric compares the district—s current performance against district-set targets.
At the same time, several committee members expressed concern about a drop in 10th-grade math meeting/exceeding percentages. One member noted a fall from about 38% to the low-20s for meeting or exceeding standards in grade 10 and asked whether the district—s adopted curriculum, Agile Mind, aligns with MCAS expectations.
"We do need to take a very close look at this," Cipolla said, noting Agile Mind is in its third year at the high school, teachers received professional development, and the district will review item-level MCAS results to identify standards that need supplementing.
A committee member asked for a formal review of Agile Mind at the next meeting; one speaker suggested that if the curriculum or cut-score shifts explain the decline, the district may need to adjust programmatic decisions. Staff agreed to bring comparative state data and the district—s target information to a future meeting and to return with specific breakdowns for grade 10 math.
The presentation included additional positive indicators: elementary and middle grades showed steady growth (particularly grades 4—7 in ELA), several elementary/middle schools improved their accountability percentiles, and the district met targets on chronic absenteeism reduction in lower grades.
Next steps the committee set were a data-driven review of 10th-grade math outcomes, a comparison to state percentiles and targets, and placing Agile Mind—s effectiveness on a future agenda for formal discussion.
