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Norfolk school officials report mixed reading and math results; emphasize acceleration to close gaps
Summary
Norfolk Public Schools staff told the school board that while many student groups showed year-over-year improvements, proficiency gaps persist — driven in part by timing of test administrations — and officials urged accelerated tier-one instruction and targeted interventions.
Norfolk Public Schools administrators on April 1 presented midyear monitoring data on the board's Goal 4, which aims to close achievement gaps in reading and math. Presenters said some student groups showed year-over-year gains, but gaps between focus groups and comparison groups remain large and, in some cases, widened in the most recent administration.
"The fall growth assessment was given six weeks later than prior years," said Miss McGarity, the presenter for reading interim measures, explaining the importance of comparing winter-to-winter administrations rather than fall-to-winter changes. She described how the division uses the state growth assessment (SGA) to classify students as "proficient" or "needs additional supports," then compares a focus student group (for example, Black students) to a specified comparison group (for example, White students) to measure the proficiency gap.
Using the district's example charts, staff showed that 52.4% of Black students were proficient in the most recent winter reading administration compared with 79.3% of White students, producing a 26.9 percentage-point gap. In math, staff highlighted that 28.3% of students with disabilities were proficient versus 59.4% for students without disabilities, a 31.1-point gap.
"Acceleration is needed because these two lines will not meet if the lower-performing group does not move faster," McGarity said, urging continued emphasis on strengthening core (tier-one) instruction while layering individualized supports such as small-group remediation and evidence-based online platforms.
Board members asked for clearer school-level trend data and whether last winter's results were included on the charts; staff said the prior-winter data would be added for full year-over-year comparison. Members also asked about how the division enforces and monitors classroom-level instructional practices; staff pointed to new walkthrough tools and coaching models used by school and central administrators to give consistent feedback and align supports.
Staff cited adoption of evidence-based programs as part of the strategy: Lexia Learning for reading and Zearn for math were highlighted as tools shown in local analyses to be associated with higher proficiency when used with fidelity. Staff also noted nine schools had won a Virginia comprehensive literacy development grant to bring high-quality consulting and observation protocols to classrooms.
The board did not take a formal vote on instructional policy during the session. Presenters said next steps include providing school-level winter-to-winter trend reports, continuing coaching and walkthroughs, and using multiple formative data points in school accountability discussions.
