At a Dec. 9 board meeting at Lincoln North Star High School, a district presenter reviewing academic measures told the Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education that the district is using state and national assessments alongside local measures to track student progress and target supports. “We don't come to work for an Aquest rating,” the presenter said, stressing that Aquest is only one indicator.

The presenter highlighted several headline results: McPhee Elementary moved from a 2 (good) Aquest rating to a 3 (great) rating after a 10-percentage-point gain in science proficiency; the presenter said 77 percent of that school's students showed growth on the state test, and over 60 percent of English learners showed progress on the ELPA exam. On early literacy, the presenter said roughly 38 percent of kindergartners initially qualified for an Individual Reading Intervention Plan (IRIP), and districtwide that figure fell to about 11 percent by spring testing. Examples at the school level showed large reductions: one school the presenter cited went from 75 percent qualifying at the start of the year to 17 percent by spring; another moved from 68 percent to 16 percent.

The district also described use of MAP Growth as a nationally normed progress measure and reported that LPS's average ACT composite for the graduating class of 2025 was 19.7 compared with a cited national average of 19.4; presenters noted LPS tests roughly 95 percent of students, which they said makes the district's composite more broadly representative than states that test a smaller share of students. The presenter said AP exam performance and college-retention measures are additional outcomes the district tracks; LPS reported a roughly 91 percent rate of returning for the sophomore year among graduates who enroll in four-year colleges, above an indicated national comparison of 77 percent.

Board members asked questions and praised the staff that compile and interpret the data. The presenter pointed to current and planned actions to close remaining gaps: expanded professional learning around the science of reading (in partnership with UNO), a math curriculum pilot, broadened AVID programming across secondary schools and focused attendance interventions to address chronic absenteeism (defined in the presentation as missing 10 percent or more of a school year).

The presenter and board also described non-assessment indicators the district values: the growth of focus programs (the district reported over 700 students currently in focus programs and said about 850 applications are in the portal for the coming year) and Career Academy credentials intended to prepare students for employment. The presenter said these programmatic choices do not produce Aquest points but matter for student belonging and readiness.

The meeting packet and presentation materials were offered as sources for the detailed figures; the board indicated it will continue the series of presentations to examine inputs that drive the outcomes discussed.