WPS Report Unprecedented Growth
June 28th, 2022
Weymouth Public Schools Report Unprecedented Growth in Math and Literacy Across Elementary Schools
(WEYMOUTH, MA - June 23, 2022) Weymouth Public Schools is reporting overall growth of 139% in literacy ability across the district in elementary education, and 121% growth in math subjects in grades 2-5.
Data teams are attributing this year’s success to new teaching and learning models that were developed as a strategy to bridge learning disparities, especially those caused by unfinished learning due to COVID-19.
“In September our educators learned that due to the pandemic many of their students were up to two grade levels behind,” Superintendent Robert Wargo said. “In one school year, just ten months, our elementary educators, administrators, coaches, data teams, district administrators and our students put in some serious work and brought our overall elementary literacy up two grade levels, and in some cases more. If that’s not educational excellence, I don’t know what it is.”
Weymouth Public Schools tests students 3 times a year in both math and literacy. In math, the district uses iReady assessments to help measure students’ growth in numbers and operations, algebra and algebraic thinking, measurement and data, as well as geometry.
In literacy, the first objective is to obtain fluency, which is measured by using the DIBELS test. Fluency is the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. Once fluency is obtained, comprehension follows. The district uses iReady to understand overall reading and comprehension ability, and measures phonological awareness, phonics, high-frequency words, vocabulary, comprehension (literature), and comprehension (informational text).
“We knew going into this school year we had real challenges to address in our elementary classrooms.” Richard Bransfield, Director of Elementary Education said. “Some of our students had never been in a traditional school setting, and many lacked the literacy, life and learning skills we would expect to see by their given point in education. We knew we needed to transform as a district, and get back to small groups where teachers differentiated instruction.”
This type of instruction included a “teacher table” where teachers worked specifically with students on targeted interventions based on real-time data. The district used a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) where interventionists would “double-dip” and work with struggling students to ensure they received one to one instruction multiple times a day.
“Equity, engagement and empowerment were at the forefront of the district’s goals this year, and this is a great example of how all three can work together and achieve results,” Wargo said. “We empowered staff to make changes in their classrooms, engaged students in learning, and provided equity across the district by accomplishing growth in not one school or a cluster of school, but in every single elementary school in our district.
“We fully implemented these methods by mid-year, and they were incredibly effective,” Bransfield added. “At the end of the day it's the teachers that matter; they embraced change, planned and formulated objectives with one another and their coaches, and these results are a direct impact of their efforts.”
The district plans to implement the same learning model at the start of next school year, hoping to build upon this year’s success through similar or the same methods.
“This type of growth is unprecedented, and we’re just getting started,” Wargo added. “Through collaboration with our educators, administrators, coaches and data teams we will continue to assess all information available to us, adapt our teaching and learning models to meet our students where they are, and build upon what we offer to help them reach their full potential.”
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Alyssa Haggerty, Communications Coordinator