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Hastings board hears disaggregated academic data showing early‑grade gaps, vows deeper MTSS and teacher data training
Summary
District leaders presented state testing disaggregated by subgroup and identified proficiency gaps at grades 3–8 among English‑language learners, students with IEPs and Black students; the board pressed for intersectional analysis and more teacher professional learning to strengthen MTSS supports.
Dr. Szymanski presented the district's Part 2 disaggregated analysis, saying the night’s focus was "the disaggregated data" and that the work would include "some analytical interpretation and some action plans." The presentation emphasized that state data are the starting point but must be triangulated with local measures to avoid overreliance on single‑point snapshots.
The presentation identified the clearest early‑grade proficiency disparities in ELA and mathematics for English‑language learners, students with individualized education programs and Black students; Hispanic students showed smaller but notable gaps. Dr. Szymanski cautioned that small subgroup sample sizes under Hastings' enrollment threshold make some percentages volatile: "wherever there are fewer than 5 students in a demographic group, we've excluded it," she said, citing privacy rules and the district's practice of aggregating multiple years to report subgroup means.
Board members pushed for deeper, longitudinal and intersectional analysis. Trustee Jody asked whether the team had been doing longitudinal cross‑walks with STAR and other screeners to trace cohorts; Scott Wynne, the middle‑school principal, replied that building‑level teams are beginning that work and that Hillside's MTSS structure provides a model. Wynne said, "anytime we're able to dig into the data and begin to disaggregate it...it gets us down to the real crux of our jobs." He and other principals urged training so classroom teachers can work confidently with data.
In response to questions about how the district will translate patterns into practice, presenters prioritized: more robust professional learning for data literacy; strengthening MTSS systems districtwide so supports can be delivered at classroom and student levels; and examining scheduling, course placement and AP access to understand mastery‑level differences at the high school. Dr. Szymanski said the district will present future social‑emotional measures and continue curriculum review and progress monitoring as part of a continuous‑improvement model.
What’s next: trustees asked staff to produce more granular analyses (including cohort tracking and participation rates for AP and accelerated courses) and to clarify counts behind each subgroup percentage so the board and public can see how many students the statistics represent. The board signaled support for continued transparent reporting and a commitment to pair data releases with clear, actionable next steps for professional learning and MTSS rollout.
