Burrillville presents mixed 2024 assessment results; officials point to curriculum timing and new SAT scoring

Julie Mayhew presented the district's state assessment results, reporting that Burrillville had 25% of students scoring proficient or exceeding in English language arts in 2024, down from 30% the previous year. She cautioned that the district is in different phases of implementing its new ELA curriculum across grade bands and said an "implementation dip" is a likely factor for the short-term decline.

Math results were steadier: the district reported 22% proficient and 1% exceeding, for a combined 23%, roughly matching last year. Mayhew highlighted upward trend lines and a decline in the proportion of students in the lowest-performance category, which she linked to multi-tiered systems of support and targeted interventions.

Mayhew also noted the district's grade-3 ELA proficiency at 36%, close to the state level of 38%, and said the district had strong PSAT and some SAT performance but that changes in online SAT scoring and an algorithm intended to discourage guessing likely contributed to a modest decline in SAT scores. Committee members asked about state cut-score changes; Mayhew said Rhode Island (RIDE) does not publish cut scores and that she and colleagues benchmark against Massachusetts cut scores when reviewing raw data.

Committee members discussed balancing assessment emphasis and student anxiety while using assessment data to inform instruction. The district said it will continue professional learning and interventions, and expects progress as curricular implementation matures.