The Rye City School District Board of Education on Oct. 28 heard a detailed presentation on student assessment results that highlighted measurable gains in early‑grade reading and increasing participation and success on Advanced Placement exams.

Lauren Ward, a district staff member who led the assessment presentation, told the board the district’s investments in early literacy programming — including SPIRE, UFLI and PAF plus professional learning in the science of reading — are “producing measurable benefits in our reading proficiency” and said multiple assessment measures show growth for younger cohorts. “Student growth indicates our professional learning efforts are having a positive impact overall,” Ward said.

The presentation covered local measures, NWEA MAP growth (mean RIT scores), New York State ELA and math results for grades 3–8, Regents outcomes and AP exam trends. Ward said cohort comparisons show steady improvement in grades 3 and 4 for ELA and that NWEA fall‑to‑spring growth in grades 1–4 exceeded national norms.

Math proficiency remained high overall — frequently in the mid‑to‑upper 80s for state proficiency (levels 3–4) — but the board discussed specific patterns: a drop between fourth and fifth grade and a decline in eighth‑grade state scores that Ward attributed to many eighth graders taking the Algebra I Regents, which focuses instruction and time on algebra topics rather than the geometry, statistics and probability covered on the grade‑level exam.

Board members asked about the timeline of program implementation and whether literacy investments explain the differing trajectories in reading and math. Ward said early literacy work began earlier and noted, “we’re hoping that we’re going to see in a couple of years…those math numbers increase” as vocabulary and comprehension improve.

District leaders also reported notable gains on the reconfigured New York State science tests (grades 5 and 8), which Ward said reflected curricular alignment to NGSS and implementation of a more inquiry‑based program (“Mystery Science”) and the department’s move to fifth‑grade departmentalization this year.

At the secondary level the district reported strong Regents pass rates, including high achievement in the newly adopted Earth and Space course and solid biology results under the new exam. Ward also said AP participation and the number of AP exams taken reached the highest levels in five years and that overall passing rates were higher than in recent pre‑pandemic years.

Board members pressed for follow‑up audits of curriculum materials: several asked when the Math in Focus textbook series would be reviewed and were told the district is due for a review cycle and will engage the instructional coaches and principals in that process. Members also discussed Challenge Success, a district partnership on student well‑being; some board members noted rising AP participation while asking the district to continue monitoring student stress, balance and SEL alongside academic opportunity.

What’s next: administration said it will continue cohort analyses, examine item‑level performance to identify standards needing reteaching, and bring forward curriculum review work (including the math textbook cycle) and deeper AP exam item analyses to staff and the board.

Sources: presentation and Q&A at Oct. 28 Rye City School District Board meeting (assessment presentation by Lauren Ward; remarks by Superintendent Dr. Murray).