Hudson Continues to Receive High Marks on Iowa Performance Profile

If you saw the news late last week, you likely heard the Iowa Department of Education released the statewide report cards for Iowa public school districts, also known as the Iowa Performance Profile. The performance profile uses much of the same data that is compiled in our Annual Report on Student Progress, which was published on October 23, 2024. As this report card confirms and we have come to expect, our district once again earned very high marks on this progress report. Our elementary school received a 'High Performing' designation while our high school earned a 'Commendable' designation. 

Hudson Elementary

The Iowa Performance Profile is a school accountability measure that is required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. This year, the Act required Iowa to develop a new system utilizing a streamlined set of core indicators that hopefully makes it easier for the consumer to understand how the scores were calculated. Some measures were removed, while at the same time new measures were added. For example, chronic absenteeism is a new data point used in the calculation of rankings. This of course is one of the reasons the state passed a law during the last legislative session to address school attendance. The other metrics that are used to determine rankings include proficiency, growth, English language proficiency (specifically those who are learning English as a second language), and post secondary readiness. The fact our schools have continued to receive high marks using both sets of metrics over multiple years speaks to the validity of the instrument and the quality of our schools. Even so, as we evaluate these data points it is wise for us as a school to look for opportunities of improvement. Let's begin with a look at the elementary school. 

In the table above, the green bar represents the performance of Hudson elementary students. The black diamond represents the state average. With the exception of chronic absenteeism, if the green bar is further to the right of the diamond, that would indicate a positive result. This graphic illustrates that our students have outperformed the state benchmark. In the case of chronic absenteeism, you'll notice that our performance is below the state benchmark, which in this case is also good: 10.79% of students labeled chronically absent compared to the statewide benchmark of 21.63%. So then, where are the opportunities for growth? 

Hudson Grades 7-11

This data suggests that the greatest opportunity for gains can be found by improving attendance, and rate of growth in both English Language Arts and Math. So how do we do this? Well, for starters our attendance and chronic absenteeism policies will help. Improvement in the growth metric is being addressed through the implementation of our initiatives. Currently, the professional training regimen that our teachers are implementing is a scientifically based instructional approach designed to improve reading outcomes. This two year initiative is already paying dividends in the results we are seeing in student achievement. In math the results are also promising! A deep dive into our data would suggest that in those grades where the program is being implemented with fidelity, the results are phenomenal. Consider this: the sixth grade boasts a 97% proficiency rate in math! Even so, it is incumbent on our system to be attuned to our subgroups. A learning gap exists for students with disabilities and those in the low socio-economic stratta compared to the overall student population. 

Turning now to the high school, what you should first take note of is the fact that there are many more indicators. Here you should note that graduation rates as well as post-secondary readiness-college credit, and post secondary readiness-work based learning are measured. Using the same analytic technique that was employed above, we can use the same logic to quickly understand how our secondary students compared against the state benchmark. Again, if the green bar is to the right of the diamond, it indicates that our students outperformed the benchmark. In this instance, the opportunities for improvement are more readily apparent. First, you should notice that our chronic absenteeism rate is slightly higher than the statewide benchmark. (Remember, this is one area where we would like to see the green bar on the left hand side of the black diamond.) In the case of Hudson, 22.4% of our secondary students were identified as being chronically absent compared to the statewide average of 21.63%. So what are the other opportunities for growth? Well again the table above offers some insight: growth in math and English would be a good place to start. 

Some of the strategies that are being deployed to foster improved student outcomes look a bit different at the secondary level. For starters, the LTRS training that is being deployed at the elementary is designed primarily to address holistically the scientific process of teaching young people to read. At the secondary level, our focus is to identify through screening (which is new this year) which students are having reading or math difficulty and to target specific interventions to those subgroups of students. Likewise, we see opportunities for improvement specifically in our post-secondary readiness index as our career and technical education strands begin to attract more students, particularly as more program offerings come online. 

In the final analysis we have a lot to be proud of! Not only are we surpassing the state benchmarks in the vast majority of criterion, our schools rank among the top in the Cedar Valley and in the NICL conference! But at the same time, we must look for opportunities to improve our standing and implement those strategies that will enable us to close the achievement gap, ensuring that all our students find success in school. 

Welcome to the Home of the Pirates

On Halloween we welcomed students into the new addition for the first time. To see the looks on their faces as they walked through the door made it all worth it. I felt like I was able to finally exhale! Upon reflection, the genesis of this project extends back well more than a decade. It began with an idea to create a state of the art career and technical education center, to add gym space in the high school, and to correct design flaws and mechanical issues that had plagued the high school since its original opening in 1997. 

"But first", I told Mr. Dieken, "The K-8 building". 

He was patient, all the while continuing to share his views on how wonderful it would be to have the agriculture and industrial arts classes in the same building. To have a space where students could learn about the trades. A 'hub' where all our career and technical education strands could have spaces designed specifically with them in mind. A place where it was made clear that a four year college degree does not need to be the only option for entrance into the middle class. But we waited. The K-8 building had to come first. After all, it was older and was facing some of the very same mechanical issues as the high school, only more exacerbated. We finished the K-8 building for the opening of the 2020-2021 school year. Hopefully you will all agree that it turned out great and looks amazing. But unfortunately because of COVID we weren't able to have the public celebration that I had hoped. Nonetheless, we have worked hard to update all our facilities and as I'm sure you are aware, that work is never done.

Meanwhile, the mechanical systems in the high school were reaching end of life. The cooling tower made so much noise you could hear it blocks away. Heat pumps in the building were beginning to fail. And parts, well they weren't available because the system was obsolete. It was time to act. 

So then, following months, yes even years of planning and strategizing with the Board of Directors, architects and consultants; in January of 2022 the district convened a task force. That task force was charged with helping to focus our facility planning and to identify projects that would improve our facilities to better serve our students and community. Over the course of 2022, they gained a deeper understanding of the needs of the district. They toured the schools to see those needs firsthand. They took a crash course on school financing, gaining a better understanding of financing options for school projects. They met with architects, providing input on potential designs and features. Finally, they took feedback from the greater community and provided a recommendation to the school board to pursue those projects and called for a special election. Their work didn't stop there though. In the lead up to the election, this task force held community forums. Met with their neighbors. Called constituents. All in an effort to educate them about the project. Then, on September 13, 2022 we went to the polls and you, the community stakeholders passed a referendum by supermajority to proceed with the project. That was just a little more than two years ago!

In that interim period, we went through multiple design options and considered countless construction options ranging from pre-engineered buildings to the brick and mortar facility we ultimately built. We were faced with delays due to supply chain issues. We wrangled sub-contractors to keep them on track, and in some instances replaced them when it became clear they weren't up to the task. During the first summer of construction we endured a drought to be slowed only by the challenges of getting submittals approved. In the second summer, we dealt with excessive rain that saturated the ground to such a degree that it caused even further delays.

Early in the process, I would stand in various locations around the construction site trying to visualize the finished product. Multiple times a day I would make this trek from my office, answering questions from our contractors and engineers. Yes, sometimes letting my frustration show through when the progress wasn't quite where I thought it should be, or when something was finished to an inferior standard. All the while, slowly but surely seeing the building take shape around me. Soon, that vision began to be replaced by the reality of what I was seeing. One day it finally dawned on me: we have changed the skyline of Hudson forever. 

While the centerpiece of this work is the new addition before you, don't forget the fact that almost every inch of this facility was touched. Think about this. The classroom windows leaked. The ceilings sagged. The carpet was worn. Our lights were inefficient. And, as I have incessantly reminded everyone over the course of the last several years, our mechanical system was obsolete. In my view, what we truly have here, is a brand new high school.

There are numerous people to thank for the work that went into this monumental undertaking. As mentioned above, we owe a debt of gratitude to the task force who worked so tirelessly to shape this vision and all their preparation leading up to the election. We need to thank the school board for their leadership and dedication to this project. Their commitment to ensuring our students receive a world class education in modern facilities suited for 21st Century work is unquestioned. Thank you to Cardinal Construction, our architectural team and friends at ISG who created numerous renderings, only to be sent back to your drawing boards time and time again. Your patience is noted. I am also grateful to our engineering team at MODUS for answering all the technical questions that came up and your response to my endless 'requests for information'.

Thank you to all our local contractors who had to, from time to time be on the receiving end of my pointed and sometimes salty feedback. It was also incredibly satisfying for me to see the contributions of our local business owners, not only those who worked as contractors on this project, but those who also pitched in in so many other ways that will become even more evident in the coming days. I am also quite proud and humbled to see the craftsmanship that was on display from those young apprentices and journeymen who, just a few short years ago were walking these very halls as students. It is my hope that this facility will nurture even more of our students into these very noble trades.

Thank you to our high school students. I know it hasn't been easy living in a construction zone for the last year and a half, but you handled it with grace and poise. And finally, thank you to the community for making this investment in your public school. Passing a bond issue is no easy task, and your support of this school district and the students who are served by it shines through. 

So welcome to your new home! I sincerely hope these facilities have given you all something to be proud of and I can't wait to see our students put them to use. 

What You Told Me About Cell Phones

At the end of September, I posted a column titled 'Smartphones in School'. In it, I shared that the school board was contemplating a change to our cell phone policy. At the end of the article was an invitation to complete a brief survey and share your thoughts. As anticipated, there were varied opinions when it comes to the use of cell phones in schools. Clearly, this will take much thought and deliberation on the part of the board. However, I want to assure you this conversation is ongoing and the board is taking all feedback incredibly seriously. They are committed to doing the right thing. At our next board meeting, they will hear from the administrators. Among other questions, they are interested in hearing about the enforceability of any such change in policy. Further, our teachers are eager to hear more about how a policy will work. Many of you have posed these same questions. In fact, an email that I received from a parent over the weekend underscores that point. The email was clearly in the camp of no cell phones in schools, but wondered rhetorically, 'how will you successfully implement'? Great question. In my view it comes down to planning and communicating. No surprise. That squares with the reading I have been doing on this subject.

Part of what I'd like to do today is provide some of that communication as to where things currently stand. We'll discuss the questions that have been raised and consider possible solutions. You'll also be able to learn, in broad strokes, what the results of our survey were and hear what themes have emerged. A bit of a teaser: the opinions are diverse!

Before I get into some of feedback we received, I'd like to once again renew my invitation to read the book 'An Anxious Generation' by Jonathan Haidt. Both our administrative staff and school board are studying this work, and it is quite eye opening. Haidt makes the argument in his book that Smartphones have provided ubiquitous access to social media, video games, and other internet activities and led to something he refers to as 'The Great Rewiring of Childhood'. This rewiring is the single largest reason for the increase in mental illness in teenagers.

If the book isn't your speed, perhaps a short article is more to your liking? Check out this article in Education Gadfly where it was reported that 72% of high school teachers said cell phones were a major problem in their classrooms. Our high school instructors and administrators would agree. Not only that, our internal data would suggest that the root of many disciplinary issues in our school can be traced back to someone making a comment or posting a picture on social media that caused a disruption. In fact, if you remember the student incident(s) that I reported to you in September: both originated online. Further, in just the last couple of weeks we had an incident where an online comment resulted in an off campus physical altercation resulting in injury.

Now then, about that feedback. As a baseline, 63% of respondents believed that our cell phone policy needs to be strengthened. Among those, many commenters opined the idea that cell phones are in fact a distraction, and that personal interactions with peers would be much healthier. Another shared that [they] had seen [media] reports that by not allowing phones to be used during lunch and passing time; it increased face to face interaction in a positive manner. They went on to wonder if the use of Smartphones, coupled with iPads during the school day had a negative impact on brain development. Many simply stated that there is no reason kids should have cell phones in school. Another claimed that if they [students] need to contact a parent, they can use the phone in the office. One respondent simply stated, 'Anytime cell phones are present, they are a distraction. Even if they are 'put away''. Another said that students need personal interactions, not 'canned' social media.

Some of you, well 37% disagree. The reasons in this case though, were not quite as varied. A consistent theme throughout these comments centered on this idea that kids need their phones to communicate with parents throughout the day. Dovetailing off this comment is the thought that some view the phones as a safety feature, particularly pointing to instances of school violence. Another commenter believes students need breaks during the day where they can access their phones. A few mentioned that the focus should be on addressing the outliers. In other words, don't punish everyone. Along that same vein one opined that in their world of work, that trust was given until there was a reason not to.

As you can see, the opinions on this issue are almost as varied as the number of respondents! The one through line however, regardless of whether someone believed the policy should be strengthened or not- is the idea of consistency. There seems to be a belief that some teachers do an adequate job of enforcing the current policy where others do not. Furthermore, there was a claim that some teachers go further than what the current policy requires.

In my view, I see value throughout the data set. At the same time, I do believe there is merit in strengthening our current policy. While I can appreciate the opinion that some view cell phones as a safety issue, I would gently push back on the idea that if parents need to reach their kids during the day the only vehicle in which to do so is via a cell phone. It may be the easiest way, but not the best. I might suggest if parents need to reach their kids during the day, they can always contact the office. Frankly, it's much better if that were the norm anyway. At the same time we have to be careful about allowing our devices, whether they are Smartphones or iPads, become a replacement for human interaction. Have you ever watched people at a restaurant waiting for their meal to arrive: while scrolling through their phone. The research is very clear: this 'rewiring' is real and it is having a detrimental effect on adolescent brain development. 

I promise this won't be the last time you hear from me on this issue! The board's conversation and deliberation will continue. At our next meeting, the board will hear from administrators and have an opportunity to weigh in on some draft policy language. Please reach out to me if you have any questions, concerns, or additional thoughts as we navigate this issue.