William Plunkett, director of school counseling, and Staples Principal Stafford Thomas – Photo Linda Conner Lambeck
By Linda Conner Lambeck
WESTPORT–By all accounts, this year’s ninth-grade class–the Class of 2029–is keeping pace with the classes that have come before it, both academically and behaviorally, according to data supplied to the school board last week.
Members of the board, however, wonder if there aren’t other data points that should be explored beyond grade point averages, special ed referrals and attendance records.
“It’s a positive trend and that’s great,” said Board Member Andy Frankel. “Is there something a little more granular (we can look at?)”
Other board members shared the sentiment but were not sure what indicators might help assure them that freshmen are on track.
The district started a trend report on the freshmen class four years ago to monitor the effects of the COVID pandemic and other factors.
Unlike younger grades there is no annual state test given in the ninth grade.
Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice called ninth grade an inflection point in a student’s 13-year journey through the school system.
The class of 2029 were third graders when they were abruptly sent home to learn remotely in the spring of 2020.
Their fourth grade was spent in a hybrid model with varied instructional access. By fifth grade, things settled down but officials continue to worry about the long-term effects of the disruption.
Here is where things stand.
The class GPA in the first semester of their sophomore year was 3.51, fractionally lower than the class ahead of them.
PSAT scores–544 for English language arts and 532 for math–are comparable to other recent classes.
Average attendance rates for the class is 96 percent, same as it was for the Class of 2028.
There have been two mental health crisis forms recorded for the class, half as many as for the Class of 2028 and way fewer than the 14 recorded for the Class of 2025.
There were 17 special education referrals with two deemed eligible for the Class, on par with the class before them.
63 percent of the Class of 2029 have received recommendations to be placed in AP or honors classes next year. That amounts to 245 referrals.
As for gauging mental health, Board Secretary Neil Phillips said a low number of completed crisis forms might not take into account situations not reported, or that occur outside of school.
“Two (completed crisis forms) doesn’t account for the ongoing, day-to-day mental health challenges,” agreed William Plunkett, director of school counseling. “It doesn’t capture the full picture. We are well aware of that.”
Since COVID, Staples High School Principal Stafford Thomas said there has been an increased focus on mental health and counseling.
Thomas called the overall class trends positive and said how ninth graders are welcomed into the school has changed in recent years.
Eighth graders are now invited to tour Staples in the spring before they start high school and are introduced to clubs and extra-curricular activities they can join. There are 112 clubs at last count.
On the first day of school, they have Staples to themselves before upper classmen join them in the afternoon.
It helps bolster a sense of community, Thomas said.
Board Vice Chair Dorie Hordon asked if teachers could be asked for feedback to determine if there are any swings in classes from year to year.
Like last year, there was also a call for discipline data to somehow be included in the report.