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Board outlines move away from traditional midterms and finals toward frequent benchmarks
Summary
The curriculum committee and administration described plans to reduce midterm/final-heavy assessment windows, adopt common benchmark assessments (LinkIt platform), and reclaim roughly eight instructional days previously used for high-stakes testing; parents will receive DIBELS screener results within 30 days when students are flagged.
Board members and curriculum staff told the July 23 meeting that the district is rethinking traditional midterms and finals in favor of more frequent, standards-aligned benchmark assessments and ongoing progress monitoring.
A curriculum committee report noted that traditional midterms and finals account for about 16 instructional days per year and can harm student mental health. "We are not so much getting rid of midterms and finals, but really looking at is that what works best for our students right now," one administrator said. The district plans to use LinkIt and common benchmark assessments so teachers can monitor mastery more frequently and use results to inform instruction.
Separately, the board discussed DIBELS universal screeners (K-6) and the expectation that parents receive assessment results within 30 days; flagged students will receive additional assessments and outreach by building staff. "After the DIBELS administration, we're required within 30 days to provide the results of those assessments," an instructional leader said. The administration acknowledged that communication was inconsistent in the first year of DIBELS use and said it expects improvements next school year.
