Manhattan 114 Reviews Fall Student Benchmark Data, Sees Strong Growth

Manhattan School District 114 Board Meeting | October 8, 2025

Article Summary: Manhattan School District 114’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction presented the board with fall benchmark data, showing that a majority of students are meeting or exceeding benchmarks in reading and math, with strong year-over-year growth. The data, gathered from STAR and Ames Webb assessments, is used by teachers to tailor instruction and provide targeted support to students.

Fall Benchmark Data Key Points:

• In STAR Reading (grades 1-8), 61% of students are at or above benchmark, with 71% showing typical or high growth.

• In STAR Math (grades K-8), 60% of students are at or above benchmark, with 68% showing typical or high growth.

• In STAR Early Literacy (grades K-1), 52% of students are at benchmark, with 72% showing typical or high growth over the last year.

• The district is seeing positive results from its full implementation of the UFly phonics program in early grades.

The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, received a comprehensive overview of students’ academic performance from the fall benchmark testing period. Mrs. Donovan, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, presented data from the STAR and Ames Webb assessments used to screen students for their level of need in reading and math.

The data showed solid performance and encouraging growth. For STAR Reading, taken by students in first through eighth grade, 61% of students are at or above the fall benchmark. More significantly, 71% of students demonstrated typical or high growth from the previous year.

In STAR Math, 60% of students met or exceeded the benchmark, while 68% showed typical or high growth.

For the district’s youngest learners taking the STAR Early Literacy assessment, 52% are at benchmark. Among those who also took the test last fall, 72% achieved typical or high growth. Donovan noted that teachers are seeing “great gains” and positive patterns emerging from the full implementation of the UFly phonics program last year.

Donovan explained that while the high-level data is informative, the real work happens at the building level. “Our instructional teams, our MTSS support staff, and our teachers really hone in not only at what the grade level trends look like, but also their individual classrooms and use that data to make instructional decisions,” she said.