District presents midyear academic data showing early-grade gains, lagging growth at intermediate levels

Heather presented midyear student-achievement data using AIMSweb Plus and other screeners, emphasizing early-grade gains and areas needing improvement. She told the board that about “80 percent of our students in first grade are scoring above the fiftieth percentile” on oral reading fluency, and she highlighted that second grade increased from 46.7% to 54.8% above the 50th percentile between fall and winter.

Heather also noted broader concerns about growth: she said district growth was “well below the state average” and described growth measures as in the fourth percentile statewide for certain metrics. At the intermediate level the district reported 61.5% of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile in reading comprehension this winter. The presentation identified vocabulary instruction and intermediate-level supports as priority areas for curriculum review.

Administrators described several instructional changes this year — early literacy materials at 4K, systematic phonics through UFLY Foundations in K–2, morphology instruction in grades 3–4, and extended (80‑minute) blocks for some 5th–8th ELA and math classes — and said teachers are using regular grade‑level data meetings and diagnostic assessments to guide interventions. The board and staff said they will pilot potential ELA materials and continue professional development tied to the curriculum review.

Heather said state forward-exam windows and NAEP testing are upcoming and that the district will use year‑end measures to track progress.