Flint leaders outline two-year academic plan after M-STEP, NWEA data show low proficiency
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Summary
Superintendent Jones and academic leaders presented M-STEP and NWEA results showing low proficiency and uneven growth; the district proposed curriculum audits, program evaluation and targeted interventions, and trustees pressed for concrete benchmarks and rapid progress monitoring.
Superintendent Jones and an academic team presented district-level M-STEP and NWEA results and a draft two-year academic plan to the Flint Board of Education, emphasizing that proficiency remains low districtwide and that math represents the district’s most significant challenge.
The presentation explained that the partnership agreement with state and higher-education partners used a 2022 benchmark and targeted a three-percentage-point proficiency increase across three years (framed as roughly 1 percentage point per year versus a cumulative 3-point gain). District leaders said they will continue to track full academic-year students for partnership reporting and warned that 2025 figures on public dashboards remain raw until state uploads are finalized.
Academic leaders described NWEA growth targets under the plan: either a 10-percentage-point increase in school-level growth or at least 55% of scholars meeting their NWEA growth targets. The district proposed several programmatic responses, including a curriculum audit, districtwide program evaluation with possible "planned abandonment" of ineffective initiatives, expanded coaching and professional development (including MSU fellowship sessions), adoption/expansion of AVID and Jason Learning in identified schools (Brownell Home STEM campus noted for STEM alignment), three rounds of teacher-led learning walks this year, and strengthened MTSS and tutoring supports.
Trustees pressed for concrete, validated measurement tools and interim benchmarks. Vice President McIntyre (board vice president) demanded reliable, consistent instruments and said "I want data" and that qualitative claims must be backed by measurable evidence. Trustee McIntyre and other board members requested a district benchmark calendar (presenters suggested a January target to finalize the calendar) and asked that the district provide disaggregated proficiency categories (proficient, partially proficient, nonproficient) and interim progress-monitoring data between NWEA administrations.
District staff acknowledged capacity and funding constraints for rolling out program evaluation, said they are evaluating tools used by MDE, and estimated that a program-evaluation tool and an implementation plan could be ready within four to six weeks. Superintendent Jones and the academic team said they will bring back additional school-level profiles, benchmark schedules and program-evaluation plans in follow-up materials and a special meeting.