March 24, 2023

(Hoover, AL) - Hoover City Schools (HCS) District Chief Learning Officer Dr. Chris Robbins presented mid-year data to the Hoover Board of Education during its March regular Board meeting. Dr. Robbins discussed how students are performing academically based on data from i-Ready. Kindergarten through 8th-grade students take i-Ready benchmark assessment tests for math and reading three (3) times a year. District and school administrators use that data throughout the year to gauge how students are performing academically and to measure their growth.

In English language arts, 63% of students are on track to meet their annual growth target. In math, 64% of students are on track to meet their growth target. The mid-year data indicates that students are meeting or exceeding pre-COVID achievement levels in reading and math, and the percentage of students needing intensive academic intervention is decreasing. The mid-year growth and achievement data from this year mirrors the mid-year data from the previous year, which is a very positive indicator of the academic growth of our students. 

Dr. Robbins said, “One way that we progress on our achievement gaps in English language arts and math is by shrinking the growth gap. The growth gap is the percentage of white students who met their growth goal minus the percentage of black students who met their growth goal. We want that difference to be small, zero, or even negative. The smaller the growth gap, the more progress we make on the achievement gap. I’m pleased to say those numbers are looking very strong.”

Due to the state discontinuing the Scantron assessment, 9th through 12th-grade students no longer have a mid-year data point. Instead, HCS uses a fall-to-spring ACT-focused benchmark product (grades 9 and 10) called Horizon. The latest data will be presented later in the spring.  

In April, students in the 2nd through 8th grades will take the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) tests. HCS data teams will continue to monitor the growth of all students and subgroups and make adjustments accordingly.