Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Academic Assessment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Smithville R‑II presents midyear I‑Ready results, competency‑based learning progress and internship demand
Summary
District academic staff reported midyear I‑Ready benchmark results showing growth in K–8 math and ELA and above‑norm performance in many grades, described use of DESE testlets for high‑school courses, outlined competency‑based learning plans and reported rising internship requests and college partnerships.
District academic services staff presented a midyear academic report to the Smithville R‑II board, summarizing K–8 I‑Ready benchmark results, high‑school assessment practices and work on competency‑based learning and real‑world learning pathways.
Presenters said the district’s I‑Ready midyear assessment (the second administration this year) shows growth and that a strong share of K–8 students fall into Tier 1 (at or above grade level). "As you look from right to left, we want to see the green grow and the yellow and the red shrink," the presenter said, noting Smithville compares favorably to national norms on a heat‑map visualization.
At the high-school level, staff described using DESE‑provided testlets aligned to standards and complexity levels for EOC‑tested courses; teachers analyze item‑level results to refine scope and sequence and to raise text complexity where needed in ELA. In biology, staff found sequencing differences and adjusted where teams focus instructional time.
Academic services also highlighted the district’s real‑world learning program: student teams presented at the MSBA Advocacy Day and district staff reported growing demand for internships, with a higher number of requests in recent years. Presenters said they are exploring longer‑term summer internship options and continuing partnerships with local colleges, naming William Jewell as an example of a collegiate partner discussing additional programming.
Finally, the district outlined its multi‑year plan for competency‑based learning (estimated five to six years for full implementation), describing completed phase‑one work to identify standards and proficiency levels and noting the work is "messy" but intended to give students clearer ownership over learning targets.
Board members thanked academic staff for the report and noted the depth of team collaboration in using data to inform instruction.
