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District assessment update: reading trending up overall; math gains concentrated in K–2
Summary
RSU 57 staff presented winter NWEA and Maine three‑year assessment results and a new Synergy analytics dashboard. The presenter said reading showed overall positive trends with some early elementary dips; math results were mixed with most consistent gains in grades K–2. Spring-to-spring growth figures may not be fully available until July.
Ms. Twitchell presented a district-level assessment update on April 8, describing the district’s use of the NWEA MAP (K–2 growth and percentiles) and the Maine three‑year assessment (grades 3–8 and 10). She explained the district recently added a Synergy analytics page that allows administrators to view longitudinal cohorts and slice data in ways not previously available on vendor platforms.
Twitchell said the winter dataset was used to inform MTSS placement (tier 2/3 services) and that, for reporting in the board packet, the district considered students above the 40th percentile as an initial benchmark for reading achievement. She described trends: reading has a few dips in early elementary grades but shows overall positive trends; math is more mixed, with the strongest and most consistent gains in kindergarten through second grade.
Board members asked how administrators drill down to identify and support students (building-level review, teacher observations, targeted interventions and principal-led monitoring). When asked about spring-to-spring results and timelines, Twitchell said some state-provided WRIT scores and percentiles may be available by the end of June but full cleaned spring-to-spring growth data might not arrive until July.
On COVID-era impacts, Twitchell cautioned that state assessment changes make strict before-and-after comparisons difficult, though the analytics can follow cohorts over time to look for patterns. The board and attendees discussed how MTSS interventions and targeted supports will be used to address students who appear to have flattened growth.
Next steps: administrators will continue to drill down from district to school, teacher and student levels and prepare communications and supports ahead of spring testing.
