District assessment update: winter NWEA shows growth but generally below pre-COVID norms; lower-achieving students lag

District staff presented the results of the district’s first full-scale winter administration of the NWEA assessment. The presenter said winter averages were compared with fall data and national norms (pre-COVID), and urged caution in interpreting comparisons because national norms do not yet reflect pandemic-era shifts.

The presenter summarized the findings: most grade levels made measurable growth between fall and winter but did not make growth at the rate the district would expect in a pre-COVID era; eighth-grade math was a notable exception, exceeding normative growth targets. Reading showed growth across grades but again at a slower pace than pre-pandemic norms. Language usage was administered for the first time; grades 7 and 8 were at or above national norms, while lower grades were slightly below.

"Really the most important piece of this is not what the data says, but what we do with the data at every school," the presenter said, emphasizing the need to combine NWEA results with running records and unit assessments to target interventions. Staff noted that high-achieving students were generally meeting growth targets while lower-achieving students were struggling to do so, and the district is using the assessment data to identify and scale effective interventions.

Board members asked about projections and the likelihood of continued improvement; staff said several factors — including an Omicron spike that required make-up testing at one school — likely affected winter results and expressed cautious optimism that spring data will show improvement if intervention strategies continue.

The board received the presentation and had no immediate policy votes on the assessment findings.