Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Assessment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Preliminary spring 2026 state assessment data show gains, board hears
Summary
District staff told the Emporia board preliminary Kite-portal results show year-over-year gains in several grades — notably 10th-grade ELA (+8 points) and math (6th and 10th grades +13 points) — while identifying a persistent dip in the 5th-to-6th transition; data remain unapproved by the state.
District staff presented preliminary spring 2026 state assessment results to the Emporia School Board on June 10, showing several grade-level and cohort gains while cautioning the numbers are not yet state-approved.
Presenters (Miss Le and a colleague) said the data came from the Kite portal and remain subject to the state’s business rules and formal approval expected in early August. They described ELA improvements in four grades (including third, fifth, seventh and tenth) and notable math gains in sixth and tenth grades. The presenters explained the district treats levels three and four on the new assessment as proficient moving forward.
The board and staff spent much of the discussion reviewing cohort patterns, particularly the recurring dip between fifth and sixth grade. Presenters said possible causes include differences in testing environment and course structure: at elementary levels students are typically tested in the same classroom with one teacher, while middle-school testing often occurs simultaneously for multiple classrooms. Staff said that may reduce the instructional environment’s cues and teacher ownership during testing, affecting performance.
Officials described next steps: further cohort analysis, more disaggregated data once the state finalizes results, and continued curriculum alignment work during summer curriculum camps and upcoming MTSS leadership work to strengthen Tier 1 instruction. Presenters emphasized that more granular, standards-aligned mini-tests (Kite mini tests) will be used to benchmark learning earlier in the year rather than waiting for spring results.
Board members thanked staff for the report and pressed for disaggregated data at the October work session when building administrators and instructional coaches will be present.
