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Superintendent reports test results; district shifts spring testing to avoid duplicate NWEA/Smarter Balanced
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Ali told the board the district's growth percentile rose from the 57th to the 63rd percentile and said the district will not give the spring NWEA to students who take the Smarter Balanced assessment to avoid duplicative testing; board members discussed testing timing, grade‑level differences and the forthcoming ACT for juniors.
Superintendent Dr. Ali gave a detailed update on interim and norm‑referenced assessment results, noting district growth measured on the administered assessment rose from the 57th to the 63rd percentile between fall and winter.
"So, essentially, as a whole district, that's the growth, the 63rd percentile," Dr. Ali said, explaining the distinction between growth (how much students improved compared with themselves) and achievement (how students rank nationally). He and staff walked the board through grade‑level variations and cautioned that timing and sample size can affect norms.
The superintendent also described a testing‑logistics change: students who take the Smarter Balanced assessment in spring will not also take the district's spring NWEA, providing the Smarter Balanced result as the third data point in place of the NWEA spring administration. Board members discussed how requiring all juniors to take the ACT (scheduled for March 17) may lower overall averages because the population changes when the test is mandatory.
Board members asked how assessment data would be used for teacher feedback and student interventions; staff said NWEA provides targeted "pinpoints" that teachers can use to identify instructional needs and that other measures will inform the teacher assistance team.
