Somerville board hears midyear check‑in on student achievement, data use and climate survey
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Summary
District leaders told the Somerville Board of Education that midyear assessment data show gains in K–5 literacy and math and that a Rutgers‑supported climate survey is guiding school‑level actions; administrators outlined steps for tiered instruction and coaching.
The Somerville Board of Education received a midyear progress report showing measurable gains in early literacy and expanded use of data to guide instruction.
Mary Kane, who presented the academic data, said preschool observational work and K–5 I‑Ready benchmark results show “nice progress,” with on‑or‑above‑grade‑level counts in K–5 rising by about 20 percentage points and reductions in students one or more grade levels below. Kane said teachers use Teaching Strategies Gold for preschool observations and I‑Ready for K–8 diagnostics, and that the district has added pacing guides, data‑driven coaching and professional development to support instruction.
Superintendent-level presenters framed the work around three one‑year goals: raising academic achievement, building capacity for tier‑one data‑based decision making, and improving school culture and climate. “High‑quality tier‑1 instruction benefits all students,” the superintendent said, noting the district intends to continue these efforts into the strategic planning process.
Dr. Cifuentes and Dr. McDonald described administering the New Jersey School Climate Improvement Survey (NJ Sky), a Rutgers‑supported tool, to students (grades 3–12), staff and parents in November. Dr. Cifuentes said the survey covers 13 domains — including sense of belonging, supports for social‑emotional learning, and physical safety — and reported participation counts (for example, roughly half of Somerville High School students completed the survey; staff and parent counts were provided for high school and middle school). She said school‑based teams would review results and pursue targeted action steps.
Board members asked for subgroup disaggregation and language‑access accommodations. Kane said the district can disaggregate results and that ESL staff work with building administrators to determine appropriate testing accommodations. The presenters said further data work is scheduled for a staff professional development day to give teachers time to analyze I‑Ready and Lincoln data more deeply.
The board thanked the presenters and emphasized that the midyear check‑in will be followed by a final reflection at the end of the school year.