PGCPS presents academic achievement update; board presses on attendance, writing and expansion of tutoring

Prince George's County Public Schools leaders presented a data‑focused briefing at the April 10, 2025 Board of Education work session that highlighted modest literacy gains, stronger benchmark growth in mathematics and ongoing efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism and expand high‑impact tutoring.

"We have shown a steady increase...about 3 percentage points across all of our grade levels" on DIBELS, said Jamie Bowers of the district's accountability division, describing DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) as the universal screener used for kindergarten through third grade. Bowers said the district is monitoring subtests where students have been persistently below benchmark (phonemic awareness in kindergarten; letter sounds and nonsense‑word fluency in grade 1; fluency in grade 2; comprehension in grade 3).

Ben Levinger of the Office of Monitoring and Accountability framed the attendance challenge and its academic consequences: "Chronic absenteeism is defined as just being absent for 10% or more of the school days that you are supposed to attend a school." He reported a small increase in elementary chronic absenteeism (from roughly 28% to 32%) and a five‑point improvement in middle…