Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the District Assessment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lowell Public Schools report shows sustained growth; four schools remain under state watch
Summary
Superintendent and district staff told the committee that district assessment data show consistent progress: seven schools exited turnaround status and four remain on the state assistance list; members praised gains while flagging subgroup and proficiency concerns.
The Lowell School Committee reviewed the district’s 2025 assessment and accountability report on Oct. 1, with the superintendent saying the state has coded the district as not needing assistance or intervention after years of progress.
Miss Crocker, representing district staff, described steady, multi‑year improvement: “We have averaged between 8 and 11 schools in turnaround status for many years. Seven schools have now come out of turnaround status and remain just four,” she said, and highlighted Moody School, Washington Elementary and Stoklosa Middle School as examples of schools that improved substantially.
Administrators credited a district‑wide focus on high‑quality instructional materials and coaching for teachers. The superintendent and staff emphasized that growth, while encouraging, is not the same as full proficiency: the district will continue to target proficiency and implement strategies in schools that remain on the assistance list.
Several committee members praised the results while urging attention to remaining gaps. Mr. Bahu noted demographic subgroup shifts in the report — including double‑digit gains among Asian and multiracial students but a reported 20% decline for African American/Black students — and urged targeted support to address disparities. Miss Martin and others asked the administration to provide proficiency figures in addition to growth metrics so the committee can see where students stand relative to statewide proficiency benchmarks.
The committee voted to accept the assessment report as a report of progress and planned further review at a performance subcommittee meeting to unpack the data in more detail.
