Winslow board approves district goals aimed at cutting chronic absenteeism and boosting growth

The Winslow Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a package of district goals on Oct. 27 that tie school-level targets to a new Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) and set clear attendance and academic-growth targets for the coming year.

Michelle, who introduced the CNA to the board, said the document aggregates district data and feeds school goals. "The CNA serves as the foundation of the goal setting and the work that we do," she said, describing twice-yearly vertically aligned curriculum conversations, the use of NWEA (referred to in the presentation as the main three‑year assessment) and partnerships with outside specialists such as Kim Hollick to support writing and literacy instruction.

The board’s approved goals include achievement and growth targets across grade bands. Mr. Hudson, speaking for the elementary school, said the elementary goals call for about 75% of students in grades 3–6 to be at or above grade level on spring assessments for math and reading, and for 100% of grades 3–6 to meet their projected growth on the fall-to-spring diagnostic. "We want every student making the projected growth based on where they're starting in the fall," Mr. Hudson said.

Attendance was a central focus of the presentation. Winslow Elementary reported chronic absenteeism of 14% last spring and set a goal of reducing that rate to 8% by the coming spring. District leaders described multiple action steps: a district attendance brochure sent home at the start of the year, regular attendance meetings every six weeks, the use of Reach My Teach for family texting and outreach, and district student-support teams (SSTs) that include the school resource officer, nurse and counselors to follow up with families.

Junior-high and high-school administrators described parallel targets. A junior‑high presenter said the school aims to reduce chronic absenteeism toward a 10% goal and set grade-level achievement targets (example: 75% of grade 7 at or above in math). High-school leaders highlighted expanding use of I‑Ready diagnostics, "data chats" with students, and a new I‑Ready algebra curriculum to support math growth.

Board members pressed for measures of progress and for midyear reporting: the superintendent and administrators said the board would receive a midyear update and a spring report on outcomes. The board then voted unanimously to approve the district goals "as presented." The vote followed motion and second with no recorded opposition.

The board’s action makes the CNA‑linked goals the district’s formal targets for the year; administrators said they will return with updates midway through the year and another report in the spring showing whether benchmarks were met.