Winter Benchmark Data Highlights Growth in Reading and Math Across Manhattan District 114

Manhattan School District 114 Meeting | February 11, 2026

Article Summary: Manhattan School District 114 administrators presented winter benchmark data showing strong academic growth across all grade levels, with significant reading improvements in early childhood linked to the district’s UFly curriculum.

Winter Benchmark Key Points:

• First graders who have received consecutive UFly instruction since kindergarten showed significant reading fluency improvement over last year’s cohort.

• Overall, 56% of early learners met or exceeded benchmarks in Star Early Literacy, up from 51% in the fall.

• For 2nd through 8th graders, 65% of students tested at or above benchmark in both Star Reading and Star Math.

• Average academic growth across all assessments was well above the expected 60% threshold.

The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education received an encouraging academic update on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, as winter benchmark testing revealed consistent gains in reading and mathematics across the district.

Director of Curriculum and Instruction Cheryl Donovan presented the data, detailing the results of the Star Reading, Star Math, and early literacy probes administered over the past several weeks.

One of the most notable celebrations came from the district’s youngest learners. Kindergarten and first-grade students scored above 75% in all foundational areas. Furthermore, the data showed a sharp increase in the performance of this year’s first graders compared to last year’s cohort.

Donovan attributed this directly to the district’s full implementation of the UFly phonics instruction program. Last year’s first graders had only received half a year of the new curriculum, while this year’s students have been utilizing it since kindergarten.

“When we have data to back that up, it just confirms and justifies and helps them see that the efforts they’re putting in, in their instruction and having that solid resource take our kids through the program, is having a positive impact,” Donovan told the board.

In the Star Early Literacy assessment, 56% of students met or exceeded the benchmark, representing a 5% increase from the fall. Importantly, 68% of those students demonstrated high or typical growth—a figure Donovan noted is well above the 40-60% average growth expectation.

For older students (2nd through 8th grade), the Star Reading and Star Math assessments mirrored that success. Both subjects saw 65% of students scoring at or above benchmark, each marking a 5% increase from the fall testing period. Additionally, 69% of students showed high or typical growth in reading, while 65% achieved the same in math.

Donovan noted that while the data provides excellent district-level insight, building teams and individual teachers have already begun meeting to drill down into the specific metrics to adjust classroom support and intervention services for the remainder of the school year.