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MCCPS Board of Trustees

Minutes

Academic Excellence Committee - Monthly Meeting

Date and Time

Wednesday November 19, 2025 at 12:15 PM

Location

In person - MCCPS Conference Room

Please note that the in-person meeting will not be suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the remote connection.

Committee Members Present

Chris Doyon, Jessica Xiarhos, KD MacDonald, Kimberly Sullivan, Stephanie Brant

Committee Members Absent

Elizabeth Burns, Ellen Lodgen, Molly Wright

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

Chris Doyon called a meeting of the Academic Excellence Committee Committee of MCCPS Board of Trustees to order on Wednesday Nov 19, 2025 at 12:17 PM.

C.

Approve Minutes

KD MacDonald made a motion to approve the minutes from October 22, 2025 Academic Excellence Committee October Meeting on 10-22-25.
Jessica Xiarhos seconded the motion.
The committee VOTED to approve the motion.

II. Academic Excellence Committee

A.

Benchmark Data: i-Ready, IXL

Math

  • Students struggling in domains tied to Unit 1 → aligns with benchmark and diagnostic data.
  • Each grade begins the year with new concepts, contributing to lower early-year scores.
  • Consistent strength (similar to prior years) in measurement and data domains.
  • Areas needing improvement across most grades: number sense and algebraic thinking.
  • Grade 6: most significant struggles; cohort has historically underperformed.
  • Intervention: Jessica Xiarhos is coaching and co-teaching.
  • Grade 5: showing progress toward proficiency.
  • Grade 4: strong benchmark performance in both math and ELA; very small % of students scoring below or substantially below grade level.
  • Grade 7: currently underperforming, but significant growth over the past few years.
  • Grade 8: some similar domain-specific challenges, but overall performance remains strong.
  • When presenting data, always include cohort history for context.
  • i-Ready guidance: 40–60% Student Growth Percentile (SGP) = “good” growth.

ELA

  • IXL provides more detailed insight than i-Ready, which lacked writing and mechanics data.
  • Schoolwide trends show weakness in grammar, mechanics, and writing—consistent with national patterns.
  • Amplify (grades 6–8) includes explicit lessons in grammar, mechanics, and essay/narrative writing.
  • Amplify is being explored for grades 4–5.
  • PALS ELA focus has shifted from literature to writing to address these gaps.

III. Other Business

A.

Schedule next meeting

Next meeting: February 11, 2026 11:20 to 12:00.

IV. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 12:52 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Chris Doyon