Amy provided an update on staffing and Highly Qualified (HQ) teacher status as the school prepares for the upcoming charter renewal site visit. Significant progress has been made in reducing the percentage of teachers who have not yet met all HQ requirements, from approximately 40% at the beginning of the prior year to approximately 21% at the time of the meeting. All teachers currently identified as not yet highly qualified have attempted required MTEL assessments, and many are awaiting results or have registered for additional testing. Leadership continues to closely track progress and provide support, including test preparation resources and payment for preparation courses. The new teacher compensation structure also provides a financial incentive for achieving HQ status.

The committee discussed the importance of demonstrating both progress and a clear remediation plan during the September 22 charter renewal site visit. Leadership has strengthened communication with newly hired teachers regarding MTEL requirements, including individual meetings and quarterly follow-up throughout the year. Approximately 30–40% of new hires are entering Veritas already highly qualified. The committee acknowledged that some teachers continue to have difficulty passing specific subject-area assessments and discussed the need to evaluate appropriate pathways for those individuals while maintaining strong instructional staffing for students. Continued improvement is anticipated as additional test results become available.

Amy reviewed preliminary MCAS results with the committee, focusing on trends in ELA and mathematics across grades and student subgroups. ELA results showed encouraging improvement across most grades, with Veritas generally outpacing statewide improvement. Fifth grade demonstrated gains across writing, language, and reading, while seventh grade results were particularly strong. The percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations also increased across most grades. Leadership attributed some of the improvement in writing to the continued implementation of Wit and Wisdom and focused professional development around writing instruction. The committee discussed the importance of viewing results through both grade-level and cohort-level growth, particularly for students who entered Veritas significantly below grade level.

The committee also reviewed outcomes for students receiving special education services. ELA performance showed meaningful improvement, including particularly strong growth among eighth-grade students. Members discussed the significance of special education students beginning to grow at rates comparable to, and in some cases greater than, their general education peers. Leadership identified continued work around executive functioning and supports for students with ADHD as a potentially high-impact area for future academic planning.

Math results were more mixed and have remained relatively stable during the post-pandemic recovery period. Seventh-grade performance continued to be strong, and cohort-level analysis demonstrated growth as students progressed through the middle school grades. Leadership identified an opportunity to strengthen systems for students who do not master concepts during initial instruction and discussed using item-level data more intentionally to inform upcoming units and targeted interventions. Approximately 70 students were identified as being within ten points of the meeting-expectations threshold, creating an opportunity for focused support. The committee also discussed exploring the state's new "growth to standard" metric as another way to understand individual student progress toward proficiency over multiple years.

The committee reviewed its FY26 priorities related to teacher quality, professional development effectiveness, and regular academic data review. Members agreed that teacher quality and academic data review have remained consistent areas of focus, with both topics regularly incorporated into committee meetings. Professional development effectiveness was identified as an area for further refinement, particularly given teacher survey results indicating that staff perceptions of the impact of professional development remain below the organization's goals.

For FY27, the committee discussed developing a more meaningful way to evaluate professional development by connecting it directly to observable changes in classroom practice and student outcomes. One proposed approach would use learning walks to establish a baseline, followed by targeted professional development and subsequent learning walks to measure changes in instructional practice. The committee discussed aligning these cycles with its meeting schedule so that progress can be reviewed throughout the year. Members also discussed using the improvement in ELA writing outcomes as an example of how focused professional development can translate into student growth and considering how a similar approach could support improvement in mathematics.

The committee briefly discussed preparation for the September 22 charter renewal site visit and the upcoming Board focus group. The September 10 Academic Achievement Committee meeting will be used to continue refining FY27 goals and prepare for the renewal process, with particular attention to ensuring that Board members understand the school's academic priorities, areas of progress, and identified opportunities for improvement.

• Leadership will continue closely tracking HQ teacher testing and update compliance data as additional MTEL results become available before the September 22 site visit.
• Leadership will continue evaluating appropriate pathways for the small number of teachers who have been unable to complete HQ requirements.
• The committee will refine the FY27 professional development goal to include a measurable, cycle-based approach connecting professional learning, classroom practice, and student outcomes.
• Leadership will continue analyzing MCAS results, including students approaching proficiency and the strong growth demonstrated by special education students, to inform instructional priorities.
• The committee will explore the state's new "growth to standard" metric as an additional tool for understanding student progress.
• The September 10 committee meeting will include continued FY27 goal development and preparation for the charter renewal focus group.
• Rachel will coordinate Board preparation for the charter renewal focus group once additional details regarding participation and format are available.