Castleberry ISD hears midyear progress report on district improvement plan
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Summary
District leaders told trustees the midyear District Improvement Plan update shows pockets of progress after a change in benchmark rigor, with targeted supports for retesters, early numeracy gains in Pre‑K, and vendor issues flagged in a new literacy platform.
District leaders presented a midyear progress report on the 2025–26 District Improvement Plan at the Castleberry Independent School District board meeting, outlining campus‑level benchmark results, early literacy and numeracy trends, and college‑, career‑and‑military‑readiness measures.
Dr. June Richland opened the update and delegated campus data reviews to coordinators. Scott Hutchins said the district changed benchmark 2 this year to administer full‑release tests to raise rigor and reduce unexpected declines between benchmark 2 and benchmark 3. He walked trustees through building‑level results and a conservative projection that district STAR performance could sit near last year’s level once adjustments and action plans are in place.
Whitney Harper reported early numeracy progress (Pre‑K through grade 2), noting Pre‑K rose from about 63% at the beginning of year to 79% at midyear and is on track toward a 92% year‑end goal. Harper explained the beginning‑of‑year assessment was shifted to grade‑level TEKS this year, which produced lower starting scores but stronger midyear gains.
Becky Putney discussed early literacy and the district’s new baseline assessment (AMIRA). Putney said the district intentionally raised its proficiency benchmark from the 50th to the 60th percentile to align with later STAAR expectations. She also reported anomalous Spanish‑language results on the AMIRA platform and said the vendor is investigating the issue.
Miss Martinez presented CCMR (college, career and military readiness) measures, reporting about 74% of current seniors meet at least one CCMR indicator and noting areas that should increase as dual‑credit, AP and industry‑based certification results finish for the year.
Trustees asked clarifying questions about how ParentSquare interactions are counted, whether CCMR categories can overlap, and how military credit is documented. Presenters said 'parent interactions' counts unique parents who engaged (comments, appreciations, direct messages) and that some military documentation remains more cumbersome to collect.
Why it matters: Trustees said the higher early‑grade targets and increased benchmark rigor are intended to reduce late‑year surprises in accountability measures. The district will continue data monitoring, targeted coaching and campus action plans ahead of the next benchmark cycle.
What’s next: The district will present benchmark 3 results and continue to refine interventions for targeted grades and student groups.