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Elizabeth School District reports midyear reading and math gains but flags persistent gaps and limited intervention capacity
Summary
District presenters told the board Jan. 26 that midyear I-Ready benchmarks show notable growth (e.g., Running Creek reading red dropped from 23% to 14% and green rose to 42%) but flagged middle-school deficits, limited slots in the district’s intensive 'Take Flight' intervention and new retention conversations with families.
District staff presented midyear I-Ready benchmark results to the Elizabeth School District board on Jan. 26, highlighting measurable improvements at several elementary schools and ongoing concerns at middle and high school levels.
At Running Creek Elementary, the presenter said the share of students scoring in the red on reading fell from 23% at the beginning of the year to 14% at midyear, while the proportion scoring in the green rose from 24% to 42%.
"At the beginning of the year, we had 23% of our students scoring in the red. At middle of the year, we have 14% of our students scoring in the red," Presenter (Unidentified 6) told the board, adding that green-band students increased to 42% midyear.
Staff explained the district’s tiered approach to support. "Everybody during WIN time — 'What I Need' time — is getting whatever it is that they need," the presenter said, describing small-group instruction, pull-outs, special-education support and services from reading interventionists. Benchmarks are administered three times a year; staff said families receive reports and conference discussions as part of MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports).
District leaders highlighted the "Take Flight" program as an intensive intervention for students with dyslexic tendencies. Staff described Take Flight as a multi-year, cohort-based program that typically runs two years and is capped at approximately five students per cohort to preserve effectiveness. "Take Flight therapy is a 2 year program," the presenter said, noting that limited seats constrain how many students can enroll.
Board members and staff tied the assessment results to a recent policy change that requires conversations with families about midyear performance and potential retention for students who do not make sufficient progress after interventions. A board member noted that the updated approach signals to families that retention is a possible outcome if students do not demonstrate needed growth.
Math benchmarks showed similar patterns of progress at elementary schools, with Running Creek math red declining from 25% to 13% and green increasing from 13% to 29% midyear. At the high school level, staff said this was the first administration of the I-Ready benchmark for many students; early results will be compared to end-of-year data to inform next-year placement decisions.
Board members focused questions on capacity to scale interventions and on communicating meaningfully with families. Staff advised that expanding interventions requires additional certified staff and that the district plans to incentivize teacher training to grow capacity next year.
The board heard that while early and midyear growth is encouraging, persistent red cohorts at later grade levels remain a district priority for targeted intervention and staffing changes.
Next steps: staff said they will continue to disaggregate data by domain and subgroup, refine intervention placements, and report end-of-year benchmarks to show whether midyear gains are sustained.
