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Principal: Botelle Elementary shows math gains while ELA remains flat; staff to pursue Science of Reading training
Summary
Principal Lauren Valentino told the Norfolk Board of Education that 2024–25 assessments show improved math performance (including gains on Smarter Balanced and MAP) while English/Language Arts trend data is flat; staff will undertake state professional development in the Science of Reading.
Principal Lauren Valentino reported to the Norfolk Board of Education on Oct. 14 that Botelle Elementary School saw measurable improvement in math during the 2024–2025 school year while English/Language Arts (ELA) performance remained flat.
Valentino said multiple measures showed growth in math, including gains on the Smarter Balanced Assessment and the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP). She reported that 74% of non–high‑needs students met or exceeded the standard on the Smarter Balanced math assessment. Valentino also noted that six students were within the standard‑error range of meeting benchmarks on both the Math and ELA Smarter Balanced assessments.
Valentino described ELA trend data as "flat" and said staff will participate in state-offered professional development in the Science of Reading aimed at improving ELA outcomes. The principal framed the professional development as a targeted response to the stagnant trend in reading scores.
Superintendent Kevin D. Case and the Board received the report during the regular meeting; the board did not take formal action on instructional changes at the session. The report will inform the district’s planning as the proposed short‑term mission-and-goals committee begins work in 2026.
Background: the principal presented the 2024–2025 Student Assessment and Achievement Report during the meeting; trend and assessment detail were discussed across the meeting record.
