Unionville-Chadds Ford board hears achievement report showing mixed gains and targeted interventions
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Summary
District leaders told the board on Dec. 8 that early literacy (DIBELS) and several math grades improved, while some grade-level PSSA/Keystone proficiencies—notably fifth-grade—declined; the district outlined curriculum alignment, MTSS and interventionist staffing and will follow up with a compiled FAQ in January.
The Unionville-Chadds Ford School District board received its annual achievement report at a special Dec. 8 meeting, where district leaders highlighted improvements in early literacy and gains in several math grades while urging additional attention to declines in some grade-level proficiencies.
Dr. Hoffman, the district lead presenting the report, said the district uses multiple measures and new curricular supports to track student progress and target instruction. "We use DIBELS for early literacy and have seen strong benchmark rates in K–2," he said, listing grade-level figures in the presentation. He described district actions including full‑day kindergarten, board‑approved early-literacy resources (Heggerty and Foundations), expanded reading specialists and curriculum-cycle work to strengthen elementary ELA.
Math was another central focus: presenters reported increased proficiency in third, fourth, seventh and eighth grades and modest Keystone algebra gains, while acknowledging a drop in fifth-grade math proficiency and a smaller dip in some reading measures. Speaker 9 summarized interventions: new math interventionist time at middle and high school, alignment of scope and sequence from third grade through Algebra I, and standardized MTSS entry/exit criteria to make supports more systematic.
Science leaders highlighted adoption of a new middle-school core (LabAIDs) and said Keystone Biology proficiency fell roughly 6 percentage points; state science reporting has been limited because the assessment underwent a recent standards alignment pilot year. The district said it expects to bring elementary science-curriculum recommendations to the board in early 2026.
On social-emotional and safety measures, the district reported Safe2Say tips decreased to 196 in 2024–25, LineWise alerts declined slightly, while threat assessments remained high at 113 and risk screens rose from 249 to 338. Dr. Hoffman framed higher screening numbers as an indicator that staff are identifying and supporting students in need, and described ongoing threat-assessment training and behavioral‑health team work.
Board members pressed for explanations of dips that appear at transitions—especially the decline between elementary and middle school—and asked whether some cohort effects trace to pandemic-era instruction. Mr. Schartz asked directly whether a COVID “ripple” could be affecting the current fifth-grade cohort; Dr. Hoffman said it is difficult to establish causation from the presented data but acknowledged the cohort’s pandemic-era experience is among factors the district is investigating.
Principals from each building presented school-level highlights and strategies. Unionville High School described interventionist scheduling, MTSS practices and a focus on reducing retake needs in Keystone courses. Patton Middle School emphasized sixth‑grade Hawk Time interventions and increased collaboration with elementary teams. Elementary principals described K–3 foundations work, kindergarten full‑day implementation, greenhouse and community partnerships, outdoor learning, and targeted co‑teaching and grading-practice alignment to support consistency across the four elementary schools.
The board directed administrators to compile answers to members’ follow‑up questions and to report back at the January CIT meeting. No votes or formal actions were taken at the December session.