Academic Performance

District educators believe that a student’s progress is measured not by one assessment at a moment in time, but rather by an entire body of evidence. The body of evidence includes, but is not limited to: projects and performances, common grade or subject-level assessments, teacher-created quizzes and tests, as well as other diagnostic tests administered throughout the school year. 

State Assessment Data

FFC8 students are administered the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) assessment annually.

• English Language Arts (ELA) - Grades 3-5

• Mathematics (Math) - Grades 3-5

• Science - Grade 5

This data is used to track overall student achievement and growth, as well as monitor any specific growth gaps between student groups.  The data is not received until after the school year is over; therefore, it is most useful as a tool for reflection. 

CMAS ELA     CMAS Math     CMAS Science

Local Assessment Data

FFC8 uses a number of high level district assessments to measure general progress in Math and English Language Arts. 

• Acadience Reading (DIBELS) - Measures students' early literacy skills and helps determine if students are on track to read at grade level (K-3)

• Illuminate DNA - Measures students' progress towards mastery of year-long, grade-level standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts (Grades 2-5)

 

 

61% of students at Mesa Elementary School met their achievement and growth goal of either maintaining high achievement, moving up a level, or demonstrating high growth.

*79% of Mesa students met their growth goal in DIBELS - this means students moved beyond a color band (yellow to green, green to blue, etc. or significantly increased movement within the same color band. 

Mesa Elementary School addresses instructional needs in the area of ELA using the following strategies: 

• Small Group Instruction: Classroom teachers conduct small group lessons in math and reading each day; in addition, a reading interventionist is assigned at each grade level to support targeted, small-group reading instruction.
• Monthly Data Review: Ongoing data discussions within each grade level team include a review of progress monitoring data of students on specific grade level skills through a common data tracker (PDSA-plan, do, study, act); results are reviewed every 10 days with adjustments made according to instructional approaches.
• Teacher Collaboration: PLCs (Professional Learning Community) take place each week for every grade-level team. PLC conversations allow us to discuss and plan effective literacy instruction, review student data, and determine next steps in instruction. Mesa’s instructional coach works with individual teachers to assist in growing instructional knowledge, small group instruction, and overall student engagement.

Literacy Skills Embedded Across Contents: Mesa teachers integrate a shared workflow model, regardless of their content area, in order to focus on and regularly embed literacy standards.

Benchmark ELA and Math Performance Levels

The charts below show the percent of students scoring in each performance category of the Fall and Spring district benchmark assessment (Illuminate DNA).  This comprehensive assessment includes  academic skills and standards taught throughout the school year.   The goal is for each student to increase their score by the end of the year, and demonstrate an increase in content knowledge. 

 

 

 

 

Mesa Elementary School addresses achievement and growth in the area of math using the following strategies:

• Collaborative Conversations: Teachers work to provide opportunities for students to engage in productive struggle and discourse with their peers.
• Differentiated Instruction: Teachers offer different learning activities, resources, and levels of support to accommodate students' abilities, learning styles, and needs. This ensures that all students can access and engage with the content effectively.
• Problem-Based Learning: Teachers present students with real-world problems or scenarios that require them to apply their math knowledge and skills to solve them. This approach encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and a deeper understanding of concepts.
• Targeted Instruction Focused on Conceptual Understanding: Developing conceptual understanding in math can benefit children in a variety of ways. This will help children gain confidence in their ability to solve math problems and improve their computational skills, which will benefit them throughout their academic careers as concepts and problems become more complex.
• Real-World Application: Teachers connect math concepts to real-life situations and problems. This helps students understand the relevance and practical applications of their learning, enhancing engagement and retention.

 

The data reflects the continued growth of our students in specific reading and math standards throughout this year. Mesa staff and students continue to work together to establish meaningful learning goals and engaging learning experiences which contribute to academic growth. We have a continued focus on closing learning gaps in both reading and math, while maintaining the support of social-emotional needs of students.