Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Summer Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dorchester District 2 reports summer reading gains, notifies families of retention review for some third-graders
Summary
District leaders reported on summer learning programs July 13, saying 367 elementary students attended summer reading camp and district staff notified 16 families their students may face retention. Families have 14 days to file appeals; the district described progress-monitoring and MTSS follow-up plans.
Dorchester District 2 leaders on July 13 presented results from this year’s summer programs and outlined next steps for third-grade retention under the Read to Succeed framework.
Jessica Farnsworth, assistant director for elementary, said the district’s five‑week summer reading camp served 367 first‑through‑third graders. Farnsworth said students received daily, targeted small‑group instruction and were progress‑monitored each week via an individualized decision tree tied to classroom instruction: “Every student that attends summer reading camp receives individualized instruction,” she said.
Staff reported programwide accountability measures. Farnsworth said the state monitoring/audit returned mostly “full evidence,” with a single area rated “some evidence,” which the district will address by increasing student and teacher engagement strategies. Farnsworth added the state requested to highlight the district’s summer reading camp on its Facebook page.
On outcomes, district staff said 36 third‑grade students were required to attend summer reading camp under Read to Succeed. Of those, 14 met the district’s 186 benchmark at camp’s end; 16 did not. Separately, six students who were required to attend declined participation; the district said those six are automatically retained. In total, staff said 22 students remained subject to retention review, and families of 16 students who had not met the benchmark were notified the day the results were available.
Farnsworth outlined the appeals process: families have 14 days to request an appeal by emailing Mr. Doherty, Farnsworth, and the student’s school principal. After the 14‑day window, a review committee will examine students’ data — including attendance, grades, behavior and other indicators — and may grant a superintendent’s good‑cause exemption to place a child in fourth grade with an independent reading plan. Farnsworth said last year five of seven appeal applicants received exemptions and the district monitored those students every six weeks.
Board members pressed staff on whether five weeks is sufficient to close large learning gaps. Farnsworth said summer data gives MTSS teams additional information to start interventions earlier in the fall and to decide whether more intensive evaluation is needed: “Even with small class sizes, targeted instruction, they sometimes still don’t make this progress,” she said, adding summer data can accelerate MTSS decisions.
Other summer program totals reported by staff: 268 middle‑school recovery students attended (262 recovered required credits so far), 1,843 high‑school summer participants took 3,216 courses in offerings including dual enrollment and virtual credit recovery, LEAP camps served 469 students in June and 356 through July so far, and ESY (Extended School Year) rostered 252 students with 186 actually attending.
The district said it will upload final records to PowerSchool and to the state monitoring system once post‑camp calculations and NWEA/SRC growth data are finalized. Farnsworth said the district will hold a reflection meeting with coordinators and report back after fall assessments for further analysis.
Next steps: families wishing to appeal retention notifications must email the contacts provided within the 14‑day window; the board will receive final decisions after the appeal reviews are completed.
