Pelham board reviews student performance, highlights strong Regents and participation gains
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Summary
At its Nov. 19 work session, the Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education examined student performance data showing broad proficiency on state assessments, notable Regents results and growth in dual-enrollment and AP participation; the district will post the full report on its strategic plan dashboard.
The Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education held a work session on Nov. 19 to examine student performance data and discuss priorities for instruction and school improvement. Dr. Commerford led the presentation and emphasized that the district uses multiple sources of data "to inform our professional learning needs and make sure they're aligned to instructional needs."
The presentation framed achievement as multidimensional: state assessments, Regents examinations, Advanced Placement access and performance, dual-enrollment participation, and extracurricular engagement. "Data is very important but it's not destiny," Dr. Commerford said, quoting Carol Ann Tomlinson to stress that assessment should guide instructional adjustments. She noted the district aligns its work with the Portrait of a Graduate and New York State standards.
Among highlights presented, the district reported that roughly 10 of 12 New York State ELA and math assessments in grades K–8 exceeded an approximately 80% proficiency benchmark, and that Pelham students continue to reach high proficiency on Regents exams, with the district citing 100% proficiency for students who took a particular algebra Regents exam in the most recent two years. Dr. Commerford also said participation in dual-enrollment has risen from 204 students in 2019 to 438 students in 2024–25 and that AP participation is growing while scores remain strong.
Beyond academics, the district pointed to robust extracurricular participation: 80 interscholastic teams across 31 sports and substantial arts and club engagement, which officials said support whole-child development.
Board members rotated through four discussion stations—each led by school- and district-level instructional leaders—to examine three data pieces per station (celebrations, priority growth areas, evidence of deep learning). Board members praised the depth of the materials and said the format generated follow-up questions and areas for additional study.
Dr. Commerford concluded by saying the full student performance report will be posted on the district’s strategic plan data dashboard and shared in the board wrap-up report. No formal policy votes were taken during the work session; the board moved to reflections and then adjourned.