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Princeton City Schools reports mixed midyear benchmark results; district outlines reading and MTSS interventions
Summary
District staff told the board midyear I-Ready and MAP results show many grades meeting the 50% typical-growth benchmark but flagged cohort declines (notably first-grade reading and some middle-school algebra cohorts); staff described reading adoption, 95% phonics, MTSS and weekly data meetings as remedial steps.
District instructional staff delivered a midyear academic update showing mixed benchmark results and a set of targeted interventions.
At the elementary level, presenters reported that kindergarten, second, third, fourth and fifth grades met or exceeded the national I-Ready typical-growth benchmark (50%): the presentation noted kindergarten at 61%, second grade 59%, third grade 73%, fourth 60% and fifth 69% for the current winter benchmark. First grade reading was reported below the 50% benchmark at about 47%.
“...we benchmark our students three times a year,” the presenter said, describing cohort charts and noting some drops in certain cohorts. Staff emphasized they will analyze strand-level data and use consistent implementation to address declines.
To address gaps, the district is implementing a new core reading program (referred to in the presentation as Witten Wisdom), a 95% phonics program aligned with the Science of Reading, and a district-wide MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support) process that includes weekly or biweekly grade-level meetings and problem-solving among principals, instructional coaches and directors.
At the secondary level, presenters reviewed MAP results and said many ELA and math areas are trending upward, while pointing to specific concerns in middle-school algebra where the cohort measure dropped (an example cited was a fall from 86% to 69% for a given cohort). Staff said they are revising pacing guides and curriculum maps and pursuing follow-up meetings (a March 3 session was scheduled to dig into MAP strand data).
Board members asked about causes for particular cohort declines; staff said there was no single explanation and pointed to variables such as new students, implementation fidelity and curriculum changes. The district also highlighted use of Newsela and an upcoming visit by a Newsela cofounder to study the district’s work.
The update concluded with staff noting continued monitoring and the use of data-driven academic achievement plans at the building level.
