Weston’s accountability index edges up to 87.1; chronic absenteeism falls, science high‑needs flagged

District staff presented the Connecticut Next Generation Accountability System results for the 2024–25 reporting year and highlighted steady, multi‑year improvement across several indicators.

Weston's overall accountability index increased to 87.1, exceeding the state high‑performance benchmark of 85. Staff said that performance and growth indicators improved for ELA, math and science overall, and that the district has earned maximum points on several indicators. Participation rates were reported above 95% district‑wide, which protects schools from downward classification due to low participation.

Attendance showed notable improvement: district chronic absenteeism fell from 7.6% (three years earlier) to 4.3% overall, and from 8.3% to 6.7% for the high‑needs subgroup. Staff credited targeted interventions, multi‑tiered systems of support, family outreach and school‑level attendance work. As presenter Tina said, the accountability system is intended “to support improvement, not to rank or label schools.”

Staff flagged an area for targeted focus: science performance and growth among high‑needs students showed a slight decline and will be a priority for interventions. The presentation also noted arts‑access participation declined enough to remove a previously held ‘yellow star’ status in that indicator; staff discussed scheduling and course‑offering strategies to increase arts participation at the high‑school level.

Additional quantitative clarifications given to the board: the district’s identified multilingual learner (MLL) population is approximately 25 students (K–12); the science high‑needs cohort cited in the presentation covered three tested grades and included ~35 students. Staff said the Phase 2 facilities work and stronger data will both support grant work and district planning.