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Blackstone-Millville reports midyear gains in reading and math, expands 'thinking classrooms' approach
Summary
District presenters reported midyear assessment results showing reductions in students ‘not meeting’ benchmarks in several grades and early gains from kindergarten tutoring; staff described classroom changes, use of ST Math, and an expansion of 'thinking classrooms' group-work strategies.
Blackstone-Millville Regional School Committee members heard midyear student-performance data on March 20, with staff and students describing reading, writing and math progress and classroom strategies intended to deepen learning.
District leaders and elementary teachers presented STAR early-literacy and DIBELS fluency results, noting that of roughly 270 students at one elementary, 149 were at or above grade level on STAR at the middle-of-year checkpoint and 17 students had moved from “not meeting” into “meeting.” Presenters said DIBELS fluency scores showed gains in accuracy but identified speed as a continuing need. A targeted kindergarten tutoring program (three 45-minute sessions per week) was credited with moving a small subgroup of students from 38% on-level to about 47% after three months of work.
"We've made some nice growth in both areas," the elementary presenter said, adding that the district has used a Department of Education grant and continued consultant support over three years to build early-literacy interventions. Student speakers described classroom strategies: "You need to read the text at least twice," one student said, and another described a writing rubric for restating, proving and summing up a response to reading.
On mathematics, teachers described altering the midyear assessment to reduce multiple-choice items and emphasize short-answer tasks to better measure conceptual understanding. Presenters said kindergarten and some early grades performed well; third grade posted weaker results after changing test format and administration. Staff pointed to ST Math as a complementary program that exposes students to skills before formal instruction and said they are aligning ST Math objectives more closely to the HMH curriculum.
District leaders also described staff development and cross-role planning for special education and English-language learners so those teachers receive the same literacy coaching as classroom teachers. "We're making sure special-education teachers and English-language teachers are getting the same training," one presenter said, noting planning time and classroom observation as supports.
Administrators framed the midyear review as a point for targeted adjustments rather than a final judgment. The superintendent said the district would continue to use growth measures and classroom evidence to decide whether to reteach a unit, add RTI blocks, or scale group interventions. The committee did not take formal action on the performance report but asked for continued updates and a high-school presentation scheduled for April 10.
Next steps outlined by presenters include continued tutoring, focused fluency drills to increase reading speed, aligning ST Math to taught objectives, and maintaining formative assessments to guide instruction.
