Debut of the data-driven governance presentation was presented at the last Board meeting.

The presentation introduced the concept of Data-Driven Governance and Oversight.

• Data is used as evidence to perform tasks such as ensuring school compliance, generating school report cards, describing outcomes, and identifying risks.

Primary Sources of Data

• The four primary sources of data discussed were:
  • Observation: Typically student specific.
  • Trimester grades: Generally student specific, but can be used at the grade-level. Caution is required as this data is ordinal.
  • Internal testing (i-Ready, IXL): Used for grade-level analysis, disaggregated by demographics, and predictive.
  • State testing (MCAS): Comprehensive, disaggregated, and forms comparisons to other districts.

Key Jargon and Definitions

• The presentation clarified assessment types and scoring terminology:
  • Assessments:
    • Formative: Focuses on understanding.
    • Summative: Used at the end-of-unit to measure mastery or approaching mastery.
    • Diagnostic: Used to identify strengths and gaps.
    • Benchmark: Checks progress at specific times.
  • Scoring:
    • Cut score: Separates performance levels.
    • Raw score: Score prior to scaling.
    • Scaled score: Converted scores that account for difficulty or accuracy.
• i-Ready and IXL Diagnostic Details
  • i-Ready and IXL utilize three "benchmark windows" (Fall, Winter, Spring).
  • Each testing window lasts 2 weeks, which supports trustworthiness.
  • Available reports include the Growth Report (personal growth against predictions), the Standards Mastery Report (performance against state standards), and the Diagnostic Results Report (performance by subject and category).
• Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)
  • MCAS items include Selected Response (SR) (multiple-choice), Constructed Response (CR) (open response or written work required), Technology-Enhanced Items (interaction with the platform), and Essay/Long Composition.
  • Performance categories are:
    • Exceeding expectations (mastery and application).
    • Meeting expectations (progress toward the next grade-level).
    • Partially meeting expectations (inconsistent mastery).
    • Not meeting expectations (minimal mastery or below grade-level).
  • The MCAS cut score is 500.
  • MCAS data provides tools for analysis, such as Item analysis (showing how students performed on specific questions) and Released items (test questions made public for classroom use).
  • The concept of Progress toward targets was presented, which is DESE’s measure of whether a school or district is meeting their improvement goals.

Disaggregation Categories

• Data is disaggregated across several categories:
  • Race/Ethnicity.
  • Gender.
  • Multi-Language Learner status (MLLs).
  • Students with Disabilities (SWD).
  • Economically Disadvantaged students.
  • High Needs students (a combined category: MLL, SWD, and/or Economically Disadvantaged).
  • Former English Learners.
  • Homeless students, foster care, or military-connected students (when reported).
• Questioning Data Usage (Goldstein & Gibson, 2003)
• The presentation defined four types of data usage questions:
  • Descriptive: Clarification of data collection, analysis, and use. Questions include: "How was data collected?" and "What is being done to standardize data in order to lessen subjectivity?".
  • Diagnostic: Summarizes school and grade-level performance. Questions include: "What is the interpretation of the data as school leadership is using it?" and "What demographics show the greatest improvement or decline?".
  • Predictive: Identifies correlations in the data. Questions include: "Does the data align with expectations from other data sources?" and "Given the trends, what movement do we expect in the future?".
  • Prescriptive: Causal in nature, defines the school’s future actions, and provides material for oversight and follow-up. Key questions focus on identifying initiatives/factors that contributed to the data, determining if future action is necessary, setting a reasonable timeframe for success measurement, and defining the tools to be used to measure progress.

KD MacDonald presented on MCAS data in preparation for faculty and Board presentations.

MCAS Data (Being reviewed with staff on 10/22/25)

Math

• Grade 6 - par with state.
• PALS appears to be working.
• Grade 8 was not under normal conditions. [Teaching structure included one teacher teaching two math classes and another teaching science, humanities, and offering special education services.]
• 8th beat the state.
• Grade 5 the narrative is unclear.
• Generally excelling in measurement and data.
• Deficits in algebraic thinking.
• Using PALS to practice algebraic thinking.
• Numbers in base 10 is a concern at lower grades.
• More targeted intervention around operations.
• Word problems standards.
• Use of a three-reads strategy is employed to help students break down word problems.
• Asking more open-ended or open response (higher DoK) questions.

ELA

• Outperformed state in Grade 8
• Outperformed Marblehead.
• Grades 4, 6, & 7
• Grade 5 does not meet the school's performance.
• Low cohort.
• Higher special ed.
• Mid-year staff
• Struggled with "idea development".
• Using formally structured reasoning in all subjects in all grade-levels.
• Students with disabilities and 8th grade had the highest growth percent.

STE

• Grade 8 outperformed the state in Physical Science (PS) and Technology/Engineering (TE).
• Grade 5 outperformed the state in PS and TE (also outperformed Marblehead).
• Amplify was implemented.
• Continuing to work toward pre-pandemic levels
• Did not have HQIM, but we do now that aligns with standards.
• Need to ensure that students are retaining previous two grade levels of science.
• Stronger performance on selected response vs. open response.
• Amplify builds more practice in.
• KS - Adapt language to ensure it is understood that we are not just teaching to the test.
• Recommendation - Describe what Amplify actually does as a matter of curriculum.

Pandemic Rebound

• MCCPS awarded School of Recognition
• Grade 4 and 6 still recovering.
• School reached pre-pandemic levels in ELA.
• ELA showed sustained growth since the pandemic.

Additional actions taken:

• Implementation of Amplify ELA for HQIM in grades 6 to 8.
• Highly coached teachers at grade 5.
• Biggest gaps are for students with disabilities and MLLs.
• MLLs still have the most significant gaps.
• Addressing through faculty training about universal design for learning.
• Amplify has built=in differentiation tools.

Recommendations

• EL Recommendation - Also address students who are operating at or above grade-level.
• KS Recommendation - Ensure it is clear that we are changing to HQIM, as opposed to adopting curriculum for the first time.

Tabled to next meeting.