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RSU 38 data briefing: several schools flagged for state supports as chronic absenteeism and upper-grade math gaps persist
Summary
District administrators reported multiple RSU 38 schools flagged under Maine's tiered support model and presented school-level chronic-absence rates (Manchester ~12%; Mount Vernon ~10%; middle school ~18%; high school ~31%). The board pressed for targeted plans and November updates.
Karen, a district administrator, briefed the RSU 38 school committee on Maine's Model of School Supports and recent assessment results, saying the state uses five indicators (chronic absenteeism, achievement, progress, English-language progress and graduation rates) to flag schools for additional assistance. Karen identified Manchester Elementary, Readfield Elementary and Morano Community Middle School as tier-one in the district, and noted Mount Vernon and Wayne have previously been identified under tier-three processes.
Karen reported school-level chronic-absence snapshots she said were recorded at year-end: Manchester about 12%, Mount Vernon about 10%, Readfield about 10%, Wayne about 11%, the middle school about 18% and the high school about 31%. She said those flags determine supports schools are eligible for, from state coaching and federal funds for tier-three schools to professional development and school-level plans for tier-one schools. "Manchester was first flagged in 2019 and then in 2024 for issues related to economically disadvantaged students, chronic absenteeism and performance in ELA and math," she told the board.
Board members expressed strong concern about the math trend: district data show math performance tends to decline in upper grades while reading remains comparatively stronger. Administrators and principals attributed part of the pattern to pandemic-era disruptions and to differences in elementary math curriculum alignment, and they said remediation and MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support) plans are being developed. The district has adopted interventions at the high school level (Carnegie Learning and other supports) and intends to monitor outcomes; principals will return with more detailed school plans in November.
Administrators also discussed test participation and comparability: participation rates are recovering toward the federal 95% threshold and the district has compared the new state assessment to MAP results locally and found correlations. They cautioned that some subgroup data are suppressed when populations are under reporting thresholds.
Several board members pressed for more granular attendance data and for clearer links between absenteeism and achievement at the student level. Administrators said state reporting requires a single chronically-absent bucket for the state submission (the 10% threshold), but locally MTSS teams are identifying frequent absentees and conducting outreach. A district administrator described targeted family outreach and early intervention efforts to re-engage students.
