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Midyear report: District sees pockets of student growth and frames attendance as priority to reach proficiency gains
Summary
Staff told the board that midyear snapshot data show pockets of reading and math growth across grades and emphasized attendance as the foundational driver of growth; the district's stretch-growth approach aims to raise proficiency over multiple years.
Red Clay Consolidated School District staff told the board the district is seeing selective midyear gains in reading and math and is using attendance and "stretch growth" targets to drive longer-term proficiency gains.
In a March 10 workshop presentation, staff said the district's midyear diagnostic results (iReady relative placement) show "significant reading growth in grades 3 and 6, and significant math growth in grades 2, 3 and 5," and that cohorts and subgroup patterns point to pockets of accelerated gains. "If students meet their stretch targets for 2 consecutive years, they will be proficient," a presenter said, describing the rationale for using iReady stretch-growth targets.
Why it matters: staff argued that focusing on attendance first, then on growth targets, is necessary because proficiency is a lagging indicator and students who are chronically absent are less likely to achieve grade-level outcomes.
On attendance, presenters noted the district's prior-year end on-track attendance was presented as "79.78%" and midyear figures were stated as roughly "79.02%"; staff cautioned the values are estimates because the district migrated student-information systems and year-to-year snapshots are not perfectly comparable. Staff emphasized research-backed attendance buckets, noting 95%+ attendance yields the best outcomes and <80% attendance is associated with poor outcomes.
Staff also highlighted reductions in referrals and out-of-school suspensions compared with equivalent time windows across three school years, and said MTSS-aligned supports and targeted interventions are contributing to those trends.
What directors asked: board members requested comparisons to the same period last year and school-level breakdowns; staff said school-by-school typical and stretch growth breakdowns are included in the handouts and can be shared again.
What's next: staff said they will provide additional school-level data and continue monthly walkthroughs, coaching, and SIP-aligned visits to support schools in meeting stretch-growth expectations.
