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Lower Moreland highlights reading gaps in early grades, steady math gains and strong AP/SAT results
Summary
District leaders reported progress in math and high AP/SAT outcomes but said third-grade ELA remains a concern; the district has adopted DIBELS and MTSS interventions and will continue curriculum review and targeted PD to address early literacy.
District administrators and presenters reviewed an annual data package that emphasized four strategic priorities—academic excellence, equity, college and career readiness, and safety and wellness—and laid out actions to address uneven early-literacy results.
"Grade 3 language arts, we have a little bit of work to do," a presenter told the board, describing persistent early-literacy gaps and noting the district has adopted DIBELS this year to diagnose phonics and phonemic weaknesses. The presenter said DIBELS will enable teachers to place students into targeted, flexible MTSS groups during Lion’s Time interventions.
Officials said math proficiency has risen since implementation of a standards-aligned math program and additional professional development. The district noted particular strengths in third- and fourth-grade math and ongoing work to better align middle-school math placement with readiness for Algebra 1.
On Keystone and high-school measures, presenters said biology remains a strong subject, literature and algebra show room for improvement, and the district’s AP and SAT performance was a point of pride: presenters reported 507 AP exams taken last year with 91% scoring 3–5, and an average SAT score of about 1,160 (reading 579, math 581). The district also reported a four-year graduation rate of 97.1% and recent AP Access Award recognition for expanding access and success in AP courses.
Equity and climate data (a Panorama survey covering roughly 2,400 respondents) showed a high average sense-of-belonging score (district average 3.8 on the PSSM instrument). Presenters said English-language-learner ACCESS results have trended above the state average and reclassification rates from ELL programs have increased, with program review underway in partnership with the Intermediate Unit.
Board members asked detailed questions about curriculum choices, the difference between DIBELS and previous diagnostic tools (iReady), whether acceleration pathways were causing proficiency gaps, and whether bar models and manipulatives are used in pre‑algebra instruction. Presenters described data-driven placement decisions, phased curriculum review, ongoing professional development and next steps for kindergarten–3rd grade MTSS interventions beginning in January.
What happens next: the district will continue curriculum-review work, provide PD tied to structured-literacy practices, deploy DIBELS data for targeted MTSS supports and discuss placement and Keystone timing in the curriculum review this year.
