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Manatee County reports improved PM1 reading and math starts; district outlines next steps
Summary
District leaders presented PM1 progress-monitoring results showing gains in early grades and mixed results in some intermediate grades; the instructional team outlined interventions, common assessments and coaching to sustain progress.
District instructional leaders presented the district’s PM1 (Progress Monitoring 1) assessment results for ELA and math across grades pre-K–10, telling the board that many grades started stronger than the previous year and that the district is narrowing gaps with statewide results.
Evan McCarthy, director of assessment, accountability and research, explained how the assessment platforms (STAR for early grades and FAST for grades 3–10) feed into parent-facing reports accessed through the Focus portal and noted that the district’s approach — giving some first graders STAR reading year-round and maintaining accelerated pathways — likely contributed to improved early-grade outcomes. Presenters highlighted notable gains in third and fifth grades and steady ninth- and tenth-grade results.
Instructional staff described next steps: common unit assessments in tested grades, monthly data reviews by literacy and instructional coaches, weekly executive-level data meetings with the superintendent, and targeted interventions for students who score in the lower bands, including tiered supports and outreach to families. They also explained plans to administer PM2 in December–January and report growth in early February.
Board members and staff discussed parent access to Focus credentials, how attendance affects achievement, and the importance of giving teachers usable data (including immediate item-level feedback from common assessments) to inform instruction. The presentation emphasized nonpunitive use of PM1 as a baseline and the district’s intention to maintain momentum with coaching and school-level data practices.
