Board seeks more data as feeder district shifts from PSAT to fall benchmark for 8th‑grade placement

Tom, the district’s assessment and accountability lead, told the board that much of the school report‑card work happens in July and that the district still awaits ISA (science) data. He said feeder District 214 analyzed multiple measures and will use those fall measures (I‑Ready/map/IR) instead of the PSAT for 8th‑grade placement decisions.

Tom described the approach as using multiple measures and percentiles to make placement decisions and noted the district will continue to provide spring data when parents question individual placements. "They go back and compare their placement decisions, the ACT data and the I‑Ready data, and they're able to say, we make this decision with this data," Tom said.

Several board members asked whether fall I‑Ready is an appropriate basis for placement because fall results are typically lower. One board member said she "would like us to explore how we can continue to take" the preACT/PSAT as a preparatory measure even if the feeder district stops doing it. Tom said the district does not receive the detailed scoring data from District 214 but will compile the local benchmark data and share the analysis with the board once the ISA science data arrive.

The discussion closed with an agreement from staff to produce and share a report showing the measures used for placement and an acknowledgment that the district and parents may want access to multiple measures for transition planning.

Ending: District staff will provide the board with the preliminary placement data analysis and follow up when the remaining state assessment data are available.