At the most recent School Board meeting, there was a presentation made regarding the elementary school data for the District.
One of the pieces the data pointed to was that 89% of kindergartners meet or exceed benchmarks in math for number identification, 92% meet or exceed benchmarks for comparing numbers, and 87% for counting objects.
“We’re proud of these numbers and our kindergarten teachers and students,” Elementary School Curriculum Coordinator, Nichole Treadway, said, explaining that the three standards are related to the foundation of math for later grades.
For the upper grades, one of the things they look at is the i-Ready scores.
In the first grade, seven percent of students were on or early on grade level in math during the fall, the numbers improved by 34% during the winter for a total of 41% of students in first grade who are on or early on grade level.
For second graders, the numbers are 19% in the fall and 47% in the winter, in the third grade, 21% of students were on or early on grade level in the fall and 59% were during the winter. In the fourth grade, 31% of students during the fall were on or early on grade level and 54% were during the winter. A total of 34% of students, in the fifth grade, were on or early on grade level during the fall, and 59% were during the winter.
In terms of reading scores, 11% of first graders were on or early on grade level for reading during the fall, while 52% were during the winter. Second grade had 38% of students on or early on grade level, during the fall and 70% during the winter. Third grade had 69% of its students on or early on grade level during the fall and 81% during the winter. For fourth grade, 50% of its students were on or early on grade level in the fall and was at 59% during the winter. A total of 40% of fifth graders were on or early on grade level during the fall, and that number increased to 54% during the winter.
Treadway also explained how the report cards work at the elementary school level, noting that the K-5 report cards are based on a four point scale with one being “marginal progress” and a four being “deeper understanding.”
She said the report cards are really the “primary communication for our parents.”
Treadway said the goal is for students to be at a three by the end of the year, which is “Consistent and Independent Mastery.”
She also noted that they are year long benchmarks, which means that if a student is at a one or two at the beginning of the school year, then that is OK.
Treadway also noted that one new thing that they have been able to do at the elementary school level is having customized report cards for all the different schools and the layout in general “is much more friendly for parents and a little bit easier to digest.”