Poughkeepsie City School District showed modest improvement in recently released New York State Education Department 2022-2023 assessment scores.
English Language Learning (ELA)
The percentage of students in grades 3-8 who achieved Level 3 and Level 4 proficiency on the ELA assessment increased by 6.1 percent over the prior year with 28.7 percent of students continuously enrolled and tested achieving Level 3 or Level 4 scores of proficiency or excelling proficiency in the standards for their grade level. All schools showed a growth in the percentage of students achieving on these levels.
Krieger elementary school showed the largest combined growth of students achieving Level 3 and Level 4 proficiency on the ELA assessment with an increase of 14.6 percent over the prior year. Warring Elementary School showed an 8.7 percent increase over the prior year, which ranked
second highest among the four PCSD elementary schools whose student population is assessed. "The data shows gradual signs of growth for our students. The Elementary Department has been
intentional in our strategic approach to assessing practices and interventions. We will continue to monitor instructional practices and student progress to ensure all of our students perform to their highest potential," Greg Mott, assistant superintendent for elementary education, said.
Math
The percentage of students in grades 3-8 who achieved Level 3 and Level 4 proficiency on the math assessment increased by 9.9 percent over the prior year, reflecting a total of 18.6 percent of students continuously enrolled and tested achieving proficiency or excelling proficiency in the standards for their grade level. All schools showed a growth in the percentage of students achieving this level.
Warring elementary school showed the largest combined growth of students achieving Level 3 and Level 4 proficiency on the math assessment with an increase of 16.6 percent over the prior year. Krieger Elementary showed an increase of 13.4 percent, over the prior year. Morse Elementary School, the district's only receivership school, showed an increase of 13.3 percent over the prior year.
Janet Bisti, director of elementary education, said, "Our goal is to accelerate this trajectory of academic achievement through high-quality instruction, curricula, and interventions for students and targeted professional learning for staff."
Presentation to Board
A presentation of the data to the Board of Education (BOE) this past Wednesday sparked conversation among trustees, Superintendent Dr. Eric Jay Rosser, and other district-level leaders. Topics included, the implications of COVID-19, the implementation of 2021 BOE ELA and math adopted curriculum, academic rigor, supplemental student academic supports, staff professional learning and instructional capacity, teacher, parent, and student expectations, parental and community involvement, student test anxiety, and the social-emotional and wellness of students.
While acknowledging the gains and the district's overall progress under the District's 5-Year Strategic Plan, general displeasure with the high number of students who are still struggling on the state's assessment was evident. "A key component to the district's progress towards our goals is the constant conversations about and presentation of our data,” Dr. Jennifer Daddino, director of data, said.
Superintendent Dr. Eric Jay Rosser said that while the scores show improvement over the prior year, there is a greater opportunity for the school community to elevate student performance and success and to show our commitment to our student population in doing so.
Mott, Bisti, and Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education, Dr Charles Gallo, presented on the various modifications to the district's instructional program that have been implemented over the past three years that have contributed greatly to the district's transformation efforts, citing how the data is being used to drive decisions, assess individual student and group performance, teacher effectiveness and professional learning opportunities, and chart direction.
"While we are not there yet, the data shows that we are moving in the right direction to becoming a high- achieving district. When given the right tools, support, and encouragement, we will see our students succeed,” Bisti said.
Lisa Spencer-Perry, executive director of strategic planning and resource stewardship, said that the key is to leverage the data. "By understanding the data and how it reflects work underway, we can support continuous improvement measures designed to increase district capacity and student success overall thus making it actionable and results-driven.”
Participation in the 2022-2023 New York State 3-8 assessments was below what is anticipated by the New York State Education Department. It is hoped that more students have the opportunity to participate in this activity, which supports academic rigor, and thus have the opportunity to demonstrate their successful growth this academic year.
