Marshwood curriculum director reports spring assessment gains, says US News ranking misses AP data

Heidi, the district director of curriculum, presented spring assessment results and multi‑year averages and said Marshwood students outperformed state averages in multiple subjects.

"Our middle school was about 15 points above the state average and the high school about 24 points above the state average on the science assessment," Heidi said during the presentation, noting the district also reported strong ELA proficiency rates across several grades. She cautioned that single‑year scores can reflect cohort effects and emphasized the value of looking at two‑ and three‑year trends.

Heidi also addressed how national rankings reflect incomplete data for Maine schools. She told the board that the state has not released AP testing data to US News & World Report, and that omission reduces the district’s showing in national rankings. "We lose credit for something that we're very proud of," she said, adding that local representatives had pledged to work on the issue.

Board members asked about comparability with other states and how rankings use different assessments; Heidi explained that states use different exams and that only some states submit data that US News can incorporate. The superintendent and board discussed continuing curriculum review meetings with teachers to build on strengths identified in the assessments.

The presentation was delivered as part of the superintendent’s report; board members raised questions about comparability, AP participation, and next steps for communicating academic progress to the community. The district will continue school‑level conversations and return updated multi‑year trend data to the board at a future meeting.