Leominster school leaders used Monday’s school committee meeting to highlight classroom gains and outline next steps for curriculum and student supports.

Mark Trainer, principal at Samoset, told the committee that the school reopened classrooms after preschool relocated and added instructional spaces, a full-time health teacher classroom and a new ISS academic tutor aimed at reducing lost instructional time. Trainer said a schoolwide writing initiative raised MCAS-related writing performance from 42% to 45% across the school and that eighth grade writing increased from 46% to 51%.

Trainer summarized the school’s goals as leveraging data to inform instruction, reducing chronic absenteeism and strengthening social‑emotional learning and equity. In response to committee questions about attendance trends, Trainer said the school monitors weekly attendance via the district data system and conducts outreach, including phone calls and home visits, to support families.

Jeff Sullivan, principal at Fallbrook, presented school highlights and community partnerships, including a successful food drive (the presentation referenced almost 6,000 pounds collected this year) and a new "world at work" club led by Leominster High students that brings them on-site to mentor younger students.

A curriculum presenter reviewed a district analysis comparing tenth-grade math course grades to MCAS results. The presenter said course grades at thresholds of "C or better" and "B or better" both show substantially higher percentages of students meeting course expectations than MCAS's meets/exceeds measure for the same cohort. The district also expanded access to Algebra I in middle schools, added a summer AP-prep course at the high school, and reported rising AP enrollment: "228 students enrolled in AP courses versus last year, 178," the presenter said.

Committee members praised the data-focused approach and asked staff to continue monitoring cohort outcomes to verify whether the curriculum and expanded course access produce sustained gains. The presenter said the district will track results and return with future updates.

Next steps: staff will continue to analyze cohort data, evaluate the impact of middle-school Algebra I expansion, and report back to the committee on progress.