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Miller Middle School reports test‑score gains; Teaching & Learning committee flags discipline disproportionality and discusses I‑Ready privacy concerns
Summary
Miller Middle School presented year‑to‑date gains in math and reading; the Teaching & Learning committee reviewed restorative practices, disproportionate suspension rates (students with disabilities over‑represented), and discussed I‑Ready's digital diagnostics and parental questions about screen time and data privacy.
Miller Middle School administrators presented academic and social‑emotional updates to the board, reporting measurable improvements in several areas while acknowledging ongoing challenges.
The presenter described growth in math and reading proficiency across grades: math grade‑level rates cited increased from 14% to 23% between the fall and winter windows in aggregate, with fifth grade rising from 12% to 21% and sixth grade from 12% to 25%. Reading proficiency showed increases (for example, 23% to 28% in a spring snapshot), and an oral fluency measure for fifth graders moved from 27% to 44%. Administrators also highlighted increases in student participation in computer‑based testing (lower opt‑out rates) and said roughly 61% of eighth graders had access to opportunities to earn high‑school credits in technical and arts pathways.
In the Teaching & Learning committee report, Dr. Collins reviewed district discipline trends and restorative practice work. Committee members noted that while elementary reporting has increased (which can inflate incident counts), middle and high school data show reductions in some incident levels and concurrent increases in restorative responses. Committee discussion focused on disproportionality: students with disabilities accounted for a large share (more than 60% referenced for certain suspension categories) of in‑ and out‑of‑school suspensions, and the committee emphasized aligning disciplinary responses with IEP protections.
Committee members also addressed concerns about I‑Ready and a pending federal class action alleging improper student data collection by a vendor. Administrators reiterated contractual and privacy protections in place and described I‑Ready as a blended curriculum with both paper‑based workbooks and an individualized digital component (MyPath). The committee summarized a small study of in‑school screen time for K–4 students (23 to 52 minutes per school day on average for those using devices) and recommended continued emphasis on purposeful, age‑appropriate technology use.
Board members asked follow‑up questions about the 26% IEP rate at Miller and about the district's approach to monitoring screen time and digital citizenship; administrators said plans for family guidance and opt‑in resources (including the GoGuardian tool) are available on the district website.
No immediate policy vote followed: the committee's materials were placed in the board library and will be available for review.
