This is part 2 of an intermittent multi-series taking a closer look at the MSAD #51 Data Dashboard, with a continued focus on demographic data this week.
Between 2015-19, athletic participation in grades 6-12 remained steady, with more than 65% of all students participating in at least one athletic program during the academic year. As the pandemic hit, not surprisingly participation dropped off to 58%, but has rebounded incrementally since 2022, returning to pre-covid levels in 2023 and 2024. This is a good sign that there has been a full recovery of typical enthusiasm and participation in our sports programs, part of what we know to be a healthy component of a student's overall school experience.
On the flip side, there are two areas where we are monitoring our data at this time. Since covid, the number of students at GHS enrolling in one or more Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate courses dropped from a high of 70% in 2020 to a low of 42% in 2023, with a slight rebound during the 2023-24 school year. Correspondingly, the number of students attempting 3+ of the most rigorous high school courses has dropped markedly, from a high of 44% in 2020 to a low of 13% in 2023, with a slight increase in 2023-24. The standards and workload for AP and IB courses does not change over time, but we know that in our district (and nationally, too) the number of students who feel prepared and confident to attempt the most academically demanding courses has seen a precipitous drop since the pandemic. This is most likely due to the reduction of in-person learning over an 18 month period, March 2020-June 2021.
We are working hard to shore up our curriculum programming, especially in literacy and math, along with academic interventions for students who are struggling to keep pace with grade level expectations. Over the last three years, we have continued to increase our MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) staffing at all levels in order to provide targeted interventions for small groups and individual students who require additional academic support. To learn more about the district's curriculum, visit https://www.msad51.org/apps/
Now that Maine winter is upon us, a reminder that we have an inclement weather procedure for your reference HERE. Please note that if the need for a 2-hour delay falls on a day that also is scheduled as an Early Release, the entire school day will be canceled instead.