AUBURN — While some improvements are still needed to better support multilingual learners and economically disadvantaged students, chronic absenteeism and test scores appear to be improving in Auburn schools.
Nearly every elementary school in the city saw an increase in assessment scores, showing higher rates of proficiency in reading and math. Many elementary school officials also reported decreasing rates of chronic absenteeism, the School Committee learned at its meeting Wednesday.
Sherwood Heights Elementary School’s chronic absenteeism rates went down to 16% last year, according to Principal Mike Davis. Fairview Elementary School’s chronic absenteeism rate decreased to 15% last year, according to Principal Celeste Beaudet. Chronic absenteeism at Walton Elementary School dropped to 17% last year, according to Principal Meghan Wood.
Walton Elementary and Washburn Elementary School had the highest rates of economically disadvantaged students among city schools, with 78% and 70%, respectively, of students in those schools identified, according to officials from those schools.
Overall, school officials highlighted a need to better support multilingual learners, those in special education and economically disadvantaged students. Some elementary schools identified a need to help students with literacy in math to increase those proficiency rates.
At the high school, student proficiency in literacy and math in grades nine and 10 have increased, according to Principal Scott Annear. Chronic absenteeism continues to be an issue at Edward Little, however, with 37% of students last year chronically absent but administrators meet monthly to address the issue.
Last month they went around to students’ homes to meet with parents and better understand why students are absent, he said. Most families said there were misunderstandings around when school started, issues with illnesses and situations in which students had to help bring in income to support the household. Other students were identified as struggling with housing.
High school students identified as economically disadvantaged appeared to go down last year to 31% but Annear thinks that number is likely much higher, he said. Because all students get free lunch now, fewer parents are filling out the form that used to determine free or reduced lunch eligibility, which was used to identify economically disadvantaged students.
There was a brief discussion among committee members and administrators after the presentations about how they can more accurately identify economically disadvantaged students.
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