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Consultant presents baseline impact analysis: consistent use of instructional materials tied to gains; district to ramp monitoring
Summary
Everest consultants told the board moderate, steady use of high‑quality instructional materials produced the strongest correlated student gains, with high‑needs groups showing promise; reading diagnostics showed modest proficiency increases while math had mixed results tied to implementation levels.
An external consultant from Everest presented a baseline impact analysis of the district's adoption and use of high‑quality instructional materials during the Jan. 14 board meeting, stressing that sustained, moderate usage — not sporadic high usage — correlated most strongly with student growth.
"One of the biggest things that I wanted to let you all know is that moderate, consistent usage matters most," consultant Stephanie said when she summarized the team's top findings. She explained the firm used propensity score matching and Cohen's d effect‑size calculations to compare students participating in the programs to similar peers.
Stephanie told the board that 4th and 5th grade I‑Ready reading diagnostics showed a 3 percentage‑point increase in overall proficiency bands from the start of year to midyear and an 11% decrease in students two‑to‑three grade levels below — results the consultant described as early positive signals. At the same time, she cautioned that the district’s usage of the HMH reading curriculum appears uneven, reducing the detectable correlation between the curriculum and outcomes. "When implementation is low, we often see lower correlated impact," she said.
On math, the consultant reported a roughly 4% decline in proficiency between start‑of‑year and midyear for the assessed grades, but also an 11% increase in students moving from deeper deficiency into "nearing proficiency." Everest found a strong connection between I‑Ready math implementation (time on task and lessons passed) and students’ midyear gains.
Consultant recommendations and next steps include monthly implementation monitoring, semesterly impact evaluations (including upcoming NWEA MAP results), clearer implementation expectations for teachers and focused professional learning to increase fidelity. District staff said they will add presentations and progress reports to the website and provide the community with the strategic plan and impact summaries.
The board asked about communicating results to families and schools; Everest said monthly monitoring and semester impact reports will be produced and that a public, front‑facing strategic plan and targeted infographics will help partners interpret progress.
