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Wyoming Valley West principals report gains under Title I program; district seeks broader access to data
Summary
District principals presented Title I strategies and school-level results showing modest upward trends: Dana Street reported a 4-point gain in reading and math benchmark rates; State Street and Chester Street reported similar improvements. The board asked staff to post the presentation packet online.
Mr. Singer, the district’s Title I coordinator, opened the presentation with an overview of a schoolwide Title I model that uses staggered benchmark tests and "win groups" to target interventions and avoid overlapping assessments.
“At the middle school we now have two reliable data points — an IXL benchmark and an earlier CDT — so we can better see student growth,” Mr. Singer said, describing the testing cadence the district adopted to reduce assessment burden.
Mister Hailey, presenting State Street’s data, said charts show fewer students in the "urgent intervention" category and more students at or above benchmark. “State Street is showing trends in the right direction,” he said, and offered one-on-one follow-ups for board members who want detailed breakdowns.
The Dana Street presenter told the board that reading and math each improved by about four percentage points in the period measured, and that urgent-intervention counts in reading have decreased. The presenter said the school will tighten early identification and increase focus on explicit phonics and foundational skills in kindergarten through second grade.
Board members pressed for staffing detail. The presenters said Dana Street now has two Title staff (down from about 3.5 previously) while State Street carries roughly 12.5 Title positions due to its larger, higher-need population; staff explained Title allocations follow building poverty levels and student counts.
Chester Street’s presenter also reported reduced urgent-intervention counts and projected continued growth through the end of the year. Across K–5, district achievement slides showed district-wide gains, prompting the chair to request that the full packet and slides be posted on the district website for public access.
The presentations emphasized classroom interventions (small-group instruction and targeted Tier 2 supports) and upcoming curricular transitions, including a new K–5 reading series and an ELA adoption noted by presenters as phonics-heavy. Board members and audience members thanked staff for parent-family engagement events and the individualized approach to student supports.
The board did not take action on instructional materials at the meeting; staff said more data will be available within one to two weeks for trustees who request it.
