District reports gains on state tests but flags gaps for students with disabilities
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Summary
Missisquoi Valley School District #89 reported modest gains on the October VTCAP results — a 6-point districtwide increase in ELA and a 2-point rise in math — while trustees and administrators emphasized equity gaps for students on IEPs and outlined training and curriculum steps to address those gaps.
Missisquoi Valley School District #89 on Monday presented early results from the Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program showing growth in reading, math and science but persistent achievement gaps for students with disabilities.
Osha Quintano, the district's director of curriculum, told the board the district's ELA proficiency rose from 48% to 54% year over year and that math proficiency increased from 35% to 37%. "So, this year in 2025 in ELA, we were just 1% below the state average," Quintano said, noting the district saw a 6 percentage-point increase overall in ELA and a particularly large gain in ninth grade.
The presentation explained that statewide testing occurs in March–April and new testing timelines and formats can depress scores compared with older assessments. Quintano also highlighted disparities: roughly 23% of students are identified for special education and those students showed the largest gaps in ELA and science. "For our students who are on IEPs, there's much more of a nuance," Quintano said, adding that the district is focusing professional development for special educators to help close gaps.
Superintendent Julie Regemal and curriculum leaders described specific responses now underway: expanding a K–6 reading program and a literacy plan that emphasizes morphology and vocabulary across content areas; bringing American Reading Company coaches into buildings; hiring a regional math curriculum expert; and delivering targeted professional development and intervention strategies for special educators and interventionists.
Board members pressed for cohort and year‑to‑year comparisons and asked for additional breakdowns by grade. Quintano said cohort analyses and fall-to-winter STAR assessment comparisons will be presented in January and February to show growth over the school year.
The board framed the results as positive but interim: officials emphasized that earlier testing dates, assessment changes and cohort differences complicate simple comparisons. The district plans fuller presentations on local STAR data and fall-to-winter progress at upcoming meetings.
The board will receive a written report and a more detailed fall-to-winter comparison from the student success team in the coming months.
