Board hears teaching and learning committee update citing mixed academic trends and new reading supports

Trustee Perino gave the Teaching and Learning Committee update at the Feb. 12 meeting, describing the committee’s focus on data‑driven instruction, reading program evaluations, and targeted remediation.

Perino highlighted specific initiatives: the purchase of whiteboard tables to promote collaborative learning, the use of a digital reading platform called Beanstack to monitor student reading habits, and ongoing assessments to identify and support students who need remedial work before advancing to more complex units. He credited committee members and building leaders for progress in several subject areas.

Perino read sample figures comparing the 2024–25 and 2025–26 marking periods: for a cited English course group the proportion above a 64% threshold was reported as 26% in 2024–25 and 19% in the 2025–26 marking period; for Algebra II the cited percentages were 23% (2024–25) and 18% (2025–26). He described these as trends to monitor and part of the committee’s data review; he also reported increases in other subjects and credited building staff for improvement efforts.

The board discussed the committee’s emphasis on monitoring achievement and using targeted interventions. Trustees encouraged continued assessment of reading programs and the use of technology to support instruction. No formal action was taken; the committee report was informational.

Next steps: committee will continue monitoring academic data and reviewing reading programs; the board asked staff to provide ELA and math state exam scores when available.