Radnor Township SD elementary data shows strong proficiency but persistent gaps, officials say

Radnor Township School District administrators presented elementary-level achievement data at a curriculum committee meeting and described high overall proficiency alongside targeted concerns about subgroup performance.

Assistant Superintendent Mister Bechtold opened the January presentation by describing the district’s priorities of belonging, wellness and achievement and by explaining how the district uses Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and diagnostic tools to match interventions to students’ needs. He told the committee that the district relies on its data warehouse, LinkIt, to track progress and plan interventions.

“I would say probably 5, 6, 7 years, of this type of data,” Bechtold said, noting LinkIt’s role in enabling administrators to “make decisions about instruction.” He also explained that the Pennsylvania Department of Education requested a federal waiver as districts shifted to new science standards, so statewide science PSSA results were not released this year.

At Ithan Elementary, Dr. Christine Bridal presented PSSA performance figures using last year’s tested cohort. “We had an 85.9 percent of our students were proficient or advanced” in ELA, she said, and reported 87.4 percent in math. Bridal cautioned that those snapshots reflect the students tested in that year and that some subgroups—particularly students in the intensive learning program and certain special-education cohorts—showed relative declines that the schools are studying.

School principals from Ithan, Radnor and Wayne described classroom- and building-level responses. Ithan’s John Wagner highlighted schoolwide culture initiatives including a staff book study and a “Caught Being Kind” recognition program; Radnor’s Dr. Nancy Young said staff are focusing on teacher clarity and a district dignity pledge; Wayne’s Principal Michael Marzano emphasized collective teacher efficacy and implementation of new curricula such as Reveal math.

Marzano framed disparities in outcomes as an "opportunity gap," urging upstream interventions and expanded access to experiences that support learning. “We want students to have exposure so that downstream these gaps are closing,” he said, arguing that enrichment, clubs and trips are part of the district’s response.

Board members pressed administrators for more disaggregated evidence. Janie asked specifically what the buildings are doing to address long-standing gaps between Asian and white students and other racial groups, and between economically advantaged and disadvantaged students. Administrators described steps already under way—more frequent MTSS meetings, weekly monitoring with special-education staff, targeted instructional para support during written-expression blocks for English learners—and agreed to provide deeper, cohort-level and pre-K program outcome data at a future meeting.

Administrators also noted that assessment data can be misleading when small subgroup sizes change from year to year; several principals recommended looking at growth and multiple measures (Acadiance/Acadience, STAR, curriculum-based diagnostics) rather than single-year proficiency percentages.

The committee did not take formal votes on policies or curriculum resources during the presentation. Members thanked staff for the detail and asked for a follow-up packet with disaggregated growth data, information about the pre-K/RELLA program’s outcomes and any referrals to special education tied to early-childhood cohorts. Administrators said they would prepare and return with that analysis.