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Board hears STAR benchmark: modest reading gains but persistent math shortfalls; district to review assessment platform
Summary
Renaissance STAR results showed minimal overall reading movement and ongoing math concerns (up to 57% in the level‑1 band). Mark Arnold said the district will shorten STAR windows and evaluate alternative benchmark vendors and class‑time assessments to better align to curriculum.
Mark Arnold, the district’s executive director of student learning, told the board that STAR reading showed only modest movement and that math remains a significant area of need. "So a significant area of need, 50% 57 percent of our students are in the level 1, below benchmark area," Arnold said, describing limited gains between fall and spring and noting wide variation across schools and grades.
Arnold and board members discussed why scores may not show end‑of‑year progress and whether the diagnostic platform aligns with the district’s scope and sequence. District leaders said they will shorten STAR administration windows to reduce overlap and testing fatigue and will review vendors during 2026–27 to find a benchmark that better matches instruction. They emphasized that curriculum alignment, classroom implementation and professional learning communities (PLCs) will be central to efforts to move students out of the bottom bands.
