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District shows improved participation and modest gains in 2023–24 state assessments; some subgroups flagged for attention
Summary
Instructional leaders presented 2023–24 results showing an 87% participation rate in grades 3–8 assessments after a parent-portal procedure was implemented, year-over-year gains in ELA and math proficiency, preliminary graduation rates with a 1-point dip from the prior cohort, and AP/IB outcomes trending back toward pre‑COVID levels.
Executive Director Cross and Director Frank Spagnolo presented the district’s 2023–24 assessment and graduation data, drawn from the New York State Data Warehouse. Spagnolo said the district’s participation rate for grades 3–8 assessments is 87 percent and credited a new parent-portal protocol that requires parents to log a refusal if they do not want their child tested. "Our goal is to exceed 95% of the minimum required participation rate in New York State," Spagnolo said.
The presentation showed year-over-year gains in aggregate ELA and math proficiency across grades 3–8 after the second consecutive year of consistent learning standards, a result the presenters described as establishing a more accurate baseline for district performance. Spagnolo highlighted that grade-by-grade performance shows improvement in several grades (he cited, for example, 37 percent of third graders scoring level 3 or 4 in one year), while staff noted that targeted subgroups remain on the district’s improvement list and require continued attention.
Executive Director Cross reviewed science assessment results (grades 5 and 8), noting these were the first administrations aligned to new standards and that the exams required students to complete four investigations; initial outcomes showed some declines at certain grades, which Cross called an expected effect of new standards. The board discussed the data and stressed sustained improvement to move off the state’s identified list. Presenters also summarized AP and IB outcomes: the district administered roughly 400 AP exams with increases in scores of 3 or higher, and Kenmore West’s IB program had 38 participants last year with seven students earning the full diploma and an average diploma grade reported as 4.76.
Board members congratulated staff for progress while underscoring that continued, sustained improvement is required in targeted subgroups; no formal board action was taken during the data presentation.
