At the KSD Board of Education work session on Dec. 5, benchmark data for the elementary schools. The key takeaways from the benchmark data was that students have been gradually improving. In the reading category, five out of eight grade levels have 80% or more of students hitting the benchmark. The board stressed the importance of early literacy at the elementary school level. In the math category, four out of eight grade levels have 80% or more students hitting the benchmark. The percentage of girls reaching the math benchmark has increased in five of eight grade levels as well. These benchmarks are set by KSD and it was reiterated that the main goal of these benchmarks is to provide useful data and feedback to teachers and administrators on what students are doing well so that resources can be diverted to the students who need support. 

The board stressed that it is very important for teachers to have access to lots of data and teaching information about how their students are performing so that they have an opportunity to grow. The lag in developmental skills for grades K-5 was still a concern. KSD said that the cause of this lag was unclear and it may vary from school to school. It was also said that KSD needs to look more into the cause of these issues. The board also reaffirmed their commitment to furthering the positive social emotional wellbeing of students. KSD wants more help on the emotional front for students, but reports overall positive data from MySavers.