Board hears testing schedule, preliminary pass rates and new IDOE auto‑enroll math rule

Administrators walked the Shoals board through a dense testing calendar and the implications of a new accountability model adopted by the state. The curriculum director and building principals outlined checkpoint windows, SAT timing and how the IDOE’s auto‑enroll rule will automatically place students in the next level of math when they score above proficiency unless parents opt out.

Preliminary local results shared with the board put the third‑grade cohort’s I‑Read pass rate near 80% and second grade at about 61%, officials said; the superintendent and elementary principal cautioned those figures are preliminary and that the state will publish official results later. The board was told I‑Read retakes and I‑Learn summative windows run through May and that SAT results will begin to arrive March 31.

Administrators noted that the new accountability formula incorporates multiple components — attendance, checkpoint scores, SAT/PSAT and additional course or exam checkboxes — and that some parts of the model are outside the district’s direct control. The district said it plans parent communications and opt‑out letters for auto‑enrolled advanced math placements and will continue targeted interventions and enrichment to raise scores before final accountability ratings are issued.

When asked what the district expected for its first accountability letter grade under the new model, board members expressed concern that initial ratings could be poor without scheduling and course‑offering adjustments; administrators urged continued data conversations with teachers and more transparent student score reporting to parents.

Administrators also noted a forthcoming K–2 universal math screener and that the district will use an existing vendor (I‑Ready) at no additional cost to meet the requirement next year.