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Shorewood board tables R2 monitoring report after debate over growth target, equity gaps
Summary
Trustees debated whether to label the new R2 student achievement and growth monitoring report "failing to make reasonable progress," raised concerns about persistent gaps for Black and Latinx students and the timing of a new curriculum, and unanimously agreed to table the motion so administration can add clarifying language and slides.
The Shorewood School District Board of Education on July 8 debated how to characterize a new R2 student achievement and growth monitoring report and delayed formal action to allow administrators to add clarifying language and materials.
Superintendent Laurie Burgos presented the new R2 report as a baseline for the district's student achievement and growth measures and said she chose to present the findings candidly: "I chose to present this as failing to make progress," Burgos said. Administrators and directors framed the presentation as the first of two parts, noting that embargoed summative assessment results (forward exams, ACT) will be reported later in the year and that this session focuses on more timely screening and growth data (FastBridge, preACT).
Directors and staff explained that the district measures both achievement and growth and that those measures can tell different stories. Director Mike Joynt illustrated how FastBridge growth percentiles map to achievement bands and how the district's goals (an 80% target for achievement bands and a 65% target for growth bands) were chosen in conversation with national norms and local expectations.
Trustees pressed administrators about disparities in subgroup outcomes. One trustee highlighted the scope of declines in some groups: "We're talking about almost 20% of students, who over the course of the last... two years collectively have dropped," said a board member (S6). Director Sherry Tucker and others described possible causes including a new curriculum rollout (year one of implementation), the timing of assessments, and assessment biases; Tucker also cited areas of strength, such as gains seen among some multilingual learners after targeted professional learning.
Board members disagreed about the R2 label. Several trustees said the word "failing" was too harsh without additional context or caveats; others said the metric as presented met the policy definition of insufficient progress. Members asked administration to add commendations, background slides from the presentation and clearer language about baseline status, exceptions, and next steps.
Rather than vote on the report as presented, the board used unanimous consent to table the motion and directed staff to return an amended report with suggested additions at a future meeting. Superintendent Burgos said administration will attach the slide presentation and proposed summary language so trustees can review the amended wording before the board takes a final vote.
The board's action leaves the R2 report in baseline status for now; trustees said they expect to revisit the document after the requested edits have been incorporated and after more complete assessment results are available later in the year.
