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District reports modest gains in readiness and graduation but racial proficiency gaps persist
Summary
Research staff presented the Comprehensive Achievement & Civic Readiness report: kindergarten reading readiness rose to about 50%, 4‑year graduation increased to 82.8%, chronic absenteeism has improved in some grades, but the racial proficiency gap widened in 2024 in part because higher‑performing groups improved faster.
District research and assessment staff reviewed the Comprehensive Achievement & Civic Readiness (CACR) results on Nov. 18, outlining enrollment, attendance, early‑learning readiness and performance trends across student groups.
The presenter said kindergarten reading readiness improved from about 47% to roughly 50% and math readiness rose to about 69% year over year. The district’s official 4‑year graduation rate increased from 81.4% to 82.8% for the 2024 reporting year.
On state assessments, the presentation noted a concerning shift: the overall proficiency gap between students of color and the district’s highest‑performing group widened to about a 25 percentage‑point difference. The presenter and board members explained that gap expansion was driven in part by gains among higher‑performing groups rather than declines among students of color; they emphasized targeted, building‑level interventions and expanded reading intervention supports from kindergarten through high school.
Attendance and chronic‑absenteeism work was highlighted as a key lever for achievement: district staff and a middle‑school principal said deep data dives showed that students with high attendance had similar achievement regardless of race, underscoring attendance as a primary predictor of outcomes and a focus for school improvement plans.
Board members heard next steps including expanded reading interventions, school‑level SIP targets and continued monitoring of CACR indicators; the district plans further presentations by building level in subsequent board meetings.
