Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Assessment Act Aspire topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tempe Union board hears ACT/Aspire growth analysis showing mixed results and flags subgroup concerns
Summary
District staff presented a local-growth analysis of ACT/Aspire results showing expected growth in several schools and subjects but lower-than-expected or unsatisfactory growth for others; English learners, parent-withdrawn students and students with IEPs showed notable gaps. The board requested follow-up data tied to its 5% growth goal.
Dr. Lehi, the district assessment lead, told the Tempe Union High School District Governing Board that the district’s local-growth model compares students’ actual ACT/Aspire scores with projected scores derived from past performance to evaluate growth rather than a single proficiency snapshot. He explained that growth is represented as effect sizes around a mean (±0.29 for expected growth) and described categories for high, expected, low and unsatisfactory growth.
The presentation showed that several Tempe Union schools met expected growth in specific subjects, while two schools were below expected growth and TUHSD Online was identified as showing unsatisfactory growth. Dr. Lehi said English showed expected growth districtwide but reading trailed overall; Corona del Sol was highlighted for a high percentage of students demonstrating high growth in reading despite not having the highest proficiency rate.
Dr. Lehi also presented subgroup breakdowns that raised concerns: English learners (EL), parent-withdrawn students and students with individualized education programs (IEPs) appeared disproportionately in lower-than-expected or unsatisfactory growth categories across subjects, particularly in reading and math. He said the district can disaggregate the data by grade, teacher and content and is using those views to target instruction.
Board members asked how the analysis ties to the board’s stated goal of a 5% increase in students achieving expected growth. Dr. Lehi said fall Horizon practice testing (the window closes Sept. 20) and subsequent practice and summative results will be used to update projections and monitor progress toward the 5% target; he said the district will provide updates each time practice tests are run. He also said the district is improving tools (including updated data-analysis worksheets and short instructional videos purchased for junior teachers) and using IXL and other targeted resources for special education students.
Member Hodge asked about alignment with feeder middle-school assessments. Dr. Lehi and Dr. Wilson said the district receives eighth-grade scores but cautioned that assessment formats differ (state/local and predictive tests versus earlier grade tests), which limits direct prediction; they described work on visualizations to track how freshmen perform a year after entering the district.
The board asked for additional data on subgroup performance and interventions; Dr. Lehi said the district will prepare a board brief with the requested figures and planned next steps. The presentation did not propose a formal policy change; it was informational and will inform future monitoring and instructional planning.
