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Board hears improved 5th-grade scores after reteaching; superintendent reports fewer COVID quarantines
Summary
At its Oct. 13 meeting the MSD of New Durham Township board heard that a 5th-grade class saw average scores rise from 59% to 75% after reteaching; Superintendent Dr. Sandra Wood said county COVID status is 'yellow' and quarantines declined from 132 to 39 incidents over recent weeks.
During the Oct. 13 meeting, elementary teachers and administrators described changes intended to raise student proficiency and provided recent COVID-19 context for the school district.
Elementary Principal Mr. Ton told the board the elementary goal is for at least 60% of students to show growth or proficiency in Math and ELA on ILearn. Mrs. Kneifel described a change in 5th-grade assessment practice: instead of advancing all students after a chapter test, teachers grouped students by performance so strong performers move to the next-level work while other students are retaught and reassessed. She said one class average rose from 59% to 75% after reteaching.
Dr. Sandra Wood, the district superintendent, updated the board on COVID-19 trends. She said the county's status was 'yellow' with a score of 1.5 and that quarantine incidents had dropped from 132 in the first three weeks of school to 39 over the most recent 5½ weeks. Dr. Wood noted that the district's first COVID case had occurred in November 2020 and that winter surges followed Fall Break last year; she referenced forthcoming state (governor-level) COVID mandates without specifying the exact content of those mandates in the minutes.
Administrators also described an Oct. 20 e-learning day when a PNW professor will work with teachers to integrate Math and ELA strategies into classroom practice. The minutes list additional student activities and supports, including Student Council (20 students) and Ambassador lessons planned for November.
The minutes summarize these updates as informational reports; no board action was recorded on assessment strategies or COVID-related policy changes at the Oct. 13 meeting.
