Hackett students win district selection for International Space Station experiment; school outlines gains and challenges
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Summary
Hackett Middle School students were selected to represent the district in the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program with a project on red maple germination in microgravity. School leaders highlighted increased attendance and student supports but noted small declines in ELA and math proficiency and socialization challenges tied to phone‑management policies.
Hackett Middle School’s student science team will send an experiment to the International Space Station after being chosen as the district’s winner in the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program, district leaders announced at the Albany City School District Board of Education meeting. Amanda Powers, the district’s secondary science and STEM supervisor, said the selected investigation is “the effect of microgravity on red maple tree germination,” and congratulated students Camilla, Juliana and Ruby for the achievement.
The presentation also highlighted school‑level data and programs. Principal and staff described Hackett’s vision and two key strategies for the year: evidence‑based differentiated instruction and an integrated Multi‑Tiered Systems of Support for academic, behavioral and social‑emotional needs. The school reported total enrollment of 624 students (district slide), with a breakdown cited in the presentation. Staff said ELA proficiency declined from about 39% to 35% year‑over‑year and math proficiency fell roughly 1 percentage point; they characterized those dips as areas of current focus. Attendance trends were described positively: the daily attendance rate rose over three years from 85% to about 91.47%, and chronic absenteeism decreased from roughly 35.9% to about 28.1%, presenters said.
Leaders described several programs and supports aimed at improving student outcomes and culture: a student equity team, monthly equity professional development, an extended‑day program serving about 200 students daily, honor‑roll celebrations (267 students in the first quarter), and a Falcon Pass recognition system that the student government finalized (eligibility described as at least an 80% grade average, 90% attendance and an acceptable behavioral record). Staff also noted a challenge associated with phone‑management policies (described in the presentation as “Yonder pouches”), saying the pouches reduced device distractions but have created the need to help students “resocialize and engage in conversation.”
The superintendent and board acknowledged the students’ spaceflight selection and invited board members and the superintendent to take photos with the winning team. School staff closed their segment by thanking the board for supporting science programming that “allows our students to see themselves as true scientists, researchers, and contributors to the broader scientific community.”
The district presentation moved on to other highlights after the Hackett segment; the board did not take formal action specifically tied to the Hackett items at this meeting.