Students show improvement at all grade levels

LONDONDERRY — Students across all grades are making positive strides forward in math and reading, according to a report from school Superintendent Dan Black.

Based on information from the winter testing scores and other academic markers, students of all grade levels in Londonderry are making great progress with their education, according to Black

Black said that he has focused on bringing the school district into better academic standing since he took the position in 2022.

“Knowing how hard our staff is working and how much effort they put into their students and working for this community, it is great we are starting to see changes in our outcomes,” he said.

Elementary students in the Londonderry school district grew in understanding math from winter of 2023. On average, the national data said only 30% of elementary students were meeting math goals. In New Hampshire, that number is 35% of students. For Londonderry, 52% of the elementary students are at least meeting their math goals.

The most drastic difference in math testing was how well third-graders in Londonderry met or exceeded their math education goals.

Nationally, students in third grade had a 31% understanding of math, the state’s average for that group was 34%. Londonderry’s average was 59% of students meeting or exceeding their math goals.

For elementary reading, students gained an average of 21.6% across all grades from the beginning of the school year. Most drastic was the changes in first grade students, going from 11% mastery in phonics, vocabulary, and reading comprehension to 41%.

On average, elementary students in Londonderry were more proficient in reading than state and national averages, with 64% of students meeting or exceeding their reading goals. The national average for meeting literacy goals is 44.4% and the state average is 50%.

Middle schoolers saw similar ratios in math and reading. On average, 50% of Londonderry middle schoolers met or exceeded their math goals; the state average is 33.3% and the national average is 30.3%.

With middle school reading goals, 59.3% of Londonderry Middle School students met or exceeded their goals, in comparison with 45.3% of New Hampshire middle schoolers and 36.7% of national middle schoolers meeting those goals.

In high school, the current class is on track for a 99% graduation rate. There are also 327 students who have signed up to take advanced placement exams, 100 more students than 2023 and 2022.

More than 600 students have taken dual enrollment courses, a way to earn college credits while still in high school.

Black said it’s important to keep in mind that while these test scores are important, they aren’t the be-all end-all standard to judge a student’s success.

“Despite our efforts and attention to these scores, we know they don’t quite capture the depth of learning that happens in our classrooms day to day and is reflected on report cards, nor all of the learning experiences our students have on the drama stage, at the band concerts, in their clubs, and on the fields and courts of our great athletic programs as well,” Black said.

“However, we do want to show the community that we take our public-facing numbers seriously and want to continue to make gains.”