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Winchester presenters report midyear gains, notable improvements for students with disabilities
Summary
At a March 9 work session, Winchester school leaders said midyear MTSS data show strong K–2 literacy growth and decreases in tier‑three placements for many students with disabilities; staff cautioned interpretation because midyear assessments are aligned to current‑grade standards and the intermediate school remains under federal identification for some subjects.
Winchester Public School staff presented a midyear academic update on March 9, saying their MTSS and assessment data show notable gains in early grades and encouraging movement for many students with disabilities.
Presenters identified in the transcript as Dr. Lula and Dr. Mullins told the board they use multiple measures — beginning‑of‑year (BOI) and midyear (MOI) assessments, the Virginia kindergarten readiness assessment, student growth assessments (SGA) in grades 3–8 and number‑sense screeners for math — to place students into tier‑one, tier‑two and tier‑three supports. They cautioned that the MOI is generally harder than the BOI, so midyear "dips" in some scores can reflect a higher standard, not a loss of learning.
Staff highlighted that kindergarten through second grade showed strong movement into tier‑one instruction across schools and said "first grade [is] knocking it out of the park," reflecting consistent early‑grade literacy progress. The presentation showed that math midyear marks dip in some grades but that is expected as more complex skills and problem solving are assessed.
On students with disabilities, presenters said the division saw a 14‑point decrease in kindergarten students assigned to tier‑three interventions from BOI to MOI and significant decreases in fourth‑grade tier‑three assignments (about 12 points in math and 15 points in reading). They reported an almost 17‑point decrease in eighth‑grade tier‑three placement for ELA. Staff emphasized the wide variability among disability types and warned against simplistic school‑to‑school comparisons.
Presenters noted the intermediate school is federally identified for low performance in math, science and reading; staff said exiting that federal designation this year would require students to show improvement in at least one of those subjects. They also described the division's use of state‑authorized special‑permission verified credits to support graduating students with disabilities, noting about 16 total such credits had been awarded to date (under 1% of total student credits), which staff said suggests appropriate, not excessive, use.
The presentation covered alternate curriculum and specialized programming for students with significant cognitive disabilities, including applied‑studies diplomas and supports up to age 21. Staff said their VDOE audit prompted new curriculum and walkthrough measures for these programs and that Frederick Douglas and Daniel Morgan serve as hubs for enhanced specialized programming.
Board members asked clarifying questions about placement of students in private day settings (ENREP) and were told the division does not control private providers' curricula despite owning the students' IEPs. Staff said they will continue to monitor midyear and end‑of‑year results and return with updates.
The board moved on to other agenda items after the presentation; no formal action on the academic data was taken at the meeting.
