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Superintendent cites test-score gaps, seeks instructional coach and more intervention staff
Summary
The superintendent reported Oct. 6 that Johnson Elementary’s assessment results show a notable gap in fifth-grade performance and outlined steps — new math curriculum, PLCs, intervention blocks and a proposed instructional coach — to close learning gaps and support teachers.
The superintendent delivered a detailed report on student performance and school supports at the Johnson Elementary School Committee meeting on Oct. 6, saying the district has identified gaps in standardized test results and is deploying curriculum and staffing changes to address them.
She told the committee that small-cohort privacy rules mean some grades cannot be included in subgroup accountability reporting, then highlighted concrete results: “In our fifth grade, we have 23% of our students were meeting or exceeding, which um with the state being 38, we're looking at a 15 point differential,” the superintendent said, and added that the district will "dive in a little deeper to find out why." The district’s overall enrollment at Johnson Elementary was reported as 177 students on the Oct. 1 count, she said.
Why it matters: A 15-point gap between the school’s fifth-grade meeting/exceeding rate and the statewide average prompted committee discussion about curriculum choices and targeted supports. The superintendent said the school moved from Everyday Math to Eureka Squared after a teacher-led review and that the change was supported by curriculum and data analysis.
Key details: The superintendent outlined action steps already in place and planned expansions: professional learning communities (PLCs) for teacher collaboration; use of STAR assessments for progress monitoring and data teams to group students for intervention; and strengthening PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) to improve school climate. She said the district is offering weekly STEM instruction and credits part of its stronger science/technology performance to that instruction and to supplemental programs.
Instructional staffing and coaching: The superintendent told members she is recommending an increased interventionist role and the creation of a full- or near‑full-time instructional coach to support fidelity when the district implements high-quality instructional materials (HQIM). She said teachers need embedded coaching to break down dense HQIM lessons and preserve core learning objectives rather than trying to pilot multiple major curricula at once.
Special education and early literacy: The superintendent said the district is creating a combined special-education administrator/coordinator role and is pursuing additional special-education teacher capacity, with a focus on early-grade supports (Wilson training was cited as an example) to better address foundational reading gaps before they compound in later grades.
Assessments and tools: The district will continue to use benchmark tools (STAR, DIBELS and other diagnostics) to give teachers real-time skill-level data linking classroom instruction to state assessment expectations.
Budget and next steps: The superintendent said she will present a draft budget at the next meeting and urged committee members to consider funding priorities — especially intervention staffing and coaching. Committee members voiced support for pursuing the instructional-coach model but acknowledged budget constraints; detailed staffing proposals will appear in the coming budget draft.
The committee took no formal vote on these program changes at the meeting; the superintendent said many items are in implementation or planning stages and will return for formal action where needed.
