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District reports gains on AIMSwebPlus and details first-year HMH Into Reading rollout
Summary
District staff told the Educational Services Committee that AIMSwebPlus spring results show overall improvement from last year and outlined targeted reading plans and summer interventions for students below the 25th percentile; staff also summarized professional development and next steps for HMH Into Reading implementation.
Watertown Unified School District staff told the Educational Services Committee on Wednesday that this year’s AIMSwebPlus spring data show reductions in the number of students requiring third-grade reading plans compared with the same time last year, and they outlined targeted interventions and next steps for the HMH Into Reading curriculum.
District staff said the number of third graders on reading plans fell from roughly 30% last spring to about 15% this year. For students scoring below the 25th percentile on AIMSwebPlus, the district is writing individualized reading plans, monitoring progress weekly, and adjusting intervention intensity (smaller groups or one-on-one support). Staff noted that state law and district policy require offering intensive summer school for students who remain on a reading plan through third grade.
Sasha (elementary instructional staff) described how the composite scoring across subtests makes pinning a single root cause difficult for first-grade performance and explained that educators are using assessment data to refine small-group instruction and to double-up supports where necessary. Staff said norms used by AIMSwebPlus were recently readjusted, which affects direct year-to-year comparisons.
On curriculum, staff reviewed the first-year rollout of HMH Into Reading at the elementary level and said teachers received training in August, October and February and were supported by district instructional coaches and HMH trainers. Staff acknowledged some technology challenges around online platforms and said continued instructional coaching, differentiation, and alignment to essential standards are priorities for 2026.
The committee requested a breakout of AIMSwebPlus results at additional percentile cut points (25/50/75) to better understand distribution and asked staff to return with that data. Staff listed that follow-up as an action item.
