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Berlin Area School District reports test and behavior metrics; chronic absence and referrals cited as concerns
Summary
District administrators reported preparations for April testing, reductions in D/F grades after interventions, honors cohort counts, and behavioral metrics showing 240 minor and 194 major referrals with 25.7% of students chronically absent.
District administrators updated the Berlin Area School District board on April 2 about upcoming testing, academic data and student behavior.
The district said it will administer the ACT and preACT on April 8, with results expected in May or early June. Administrators described steps to ensure testing accommodations and technology readiness.
Staff (S5) reported a reduction in D/F grades: "We had 321 D or F grades on the Monday before the semester ended" that were reduced to 209 after finalization. The presentation noted that 62 students initially had an F and that figure later represented 18 students with multiple F's, which the presenter characterized as a "71% reduction" in that subset after teachers intervened before grade finalization.
Graduation honors were detailed: out of the class of 2026, 9 students reached summa cum laude, 12 magna cum laude and 29 cum laude; cords and program notation will reflect these distinctions.
Administrators also reviewed behavioral metrics and attendance concerns. The district's goal for its continuous improvement plan is to have 90% or more of students receive zero or one major referral; the presenter reported the district currently sits at 90.1% on that measure. Referral counts as of the previous week were reported as 240 minor referrals (classroom-managed) and 194 major referrals (office-managed), with 83 unique students accounting for majors. The presenter said disruptive and disrespectful behavior accounted for more than half of major referrals. The presentation described lunch detention as the common logical consequence for many majors and discussed its function and effectiveness.
Attendance data prompted concern: the presenter reported 25.7% of students were chronically absent (missing more than 10% of school days), a rate slightly higher than last year and consistent with some rural national figures. Staff described targeted interventions such as home visits, pairing families with community resources and closer monitoring to address chronic absenteeism and repeated majors.
Board members asked clarifying questions about lunch detention procedures, open campus privileges, and how staff use data to guide interventions; presenters described classroom management training, PLC data cycles and one-on-one teacher feedback as current strategies.
