Superintendent reviews district goals, cites large iReady gains

Superintendent Galishman used the April 9 meeting to present district goals, implementation steps and assessment data the administration says show measurable student growth.

Galishman described four goals — a student-learning goal, two district-improvement goals and a professional-learning goal — and the indicators used to track progress, including the district’s Open Architects dashboards and the TeachPoint evaluation platform. "We're using data to improve targeted areas and that was...the root of it," Galishman said.

The superintendent cited iReady, an internal, adaptive assessment the district gives three times a year, as the source for several headline numbers shared with the committee: a 58% increase in K–4 ELA for targeted groups, a 102% increase in K–4 math growth, and mid-level gains in middle-school grades. Galishman and other staff emphasized that iReady is one measurement among several used to guide interventions, and noted that iReady scores are normed and adaptive. "I Ready is flawed...but it is...measured; it's one measurement," Galishman said.

Galishman also reported engagement metrics from recent surveys: about 89% of staff and 92% of families said the superintendent has been visible and engaged. He described a monthly superintendent newsletter, student cabinet meetings, expanded professional development and efforts to use data to support both the district’s lowest-performing students and those at the top of the achievement spectrum.

Board members asked for detail on the iReady figures; staff clarified that the percentages reflect growth measured on iReady (not MCAS) and explained how the district uses percentiles and norms to identify needs and target instruction. The superintendent said the district will continue to refine rollout and use of data tools and to expand student voice through the student cabinet.