LYNN –– Ahead of her upcoming evaluation, Superintendent Dr. Evonne Alvarez shared her accomplishments with the School Committee.
Dr. Alvarez has been the LPS superintendent since 2023. Since then, she has implemented a new Early Childhood Center at Bennett Street, opened City Arts and Sciences Academy (CASA), reinstated the PSAT exam, and reduced chronic absenteeism, along with many other achievements.
During Dr. Alvarez’s presentation at last Thursday’s School Committee meeting, she provided evidence surrounding her involvement with the district’s core goals of improvement for the 2024-2025 school year.
These goals include fostering literary proficiency for multilingual learners, promoting support for students with disabilities, fostering belonging for educators and students, integrating mathematics and literacy skills, advancing access to advanced coursework, and creating conditions for schools to improve student achievement.
“We wanted to implement turnaround strategies to mitigate the learning loss from COVID. Based on our assessments, we noticed a trend in many of our secondary students where they were either two or three years below grade level, so there were a number of strategies we implemented,” Dr. Alvarez said.
Dr. Alvarez also presented the measures of success for the 2024-2025 school year in relation to the standards that the school committee selected in October 2024.
For example, the percentage of students making progress toward language proficiency increased by 8.9%, while Individual Education Plan (IEP) compliance increased by 20%. Meanwhile, chronic absenteeism was reduced by 2.1%. When it comes to academic progress, student growth percentiles in mathematics increased by 3.3%.
By reintroducing the PSAT in 2024 after a four-year gap, participation of the exam increased by 15%. Access to Advanced Placement (AP) classes increased by 5%, and early college dual enrollment increased by 3%.
Further accomplishments include hiring 234 new teachers, reducing expulsion hearings by 41% by strengthening communications on student behavioral expectations, and increasing Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) Accountability Rankings by 175%.
The School Committee will submit an evaluation ranking Dr. Alvarez’s instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community engagement, and professional culture by Oct. 3. The documents will be made public, and Mayor Jared Nicholson will combine the evaluations and present the results during the upcoming School Committee Meeting on Oct. 9.
