Superintendent

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February 20, 2026

GLPS Families,

What a beautiful week! Multiple days of sunshine and above-average temperatures were welcome after the deep cold and winter weather that we have experienced this year. Aside from the hint of the coming spring that we get in February, it is also our chance as a district to track academic growth as we assess what we have accomplished so far and set our sights on further growth throughout the remainder of the year. In our strategic plan, we state that We believe all students can learn and We believe it is the role of the school district to provide support and access for all students, and our academic achievement data indicates how well we are living up to those ideals. So, for my update today I want to share some data sets with you that show our growth, but also our areas of focus for the remainder of the year. 

Data Set 1 - K-8 NWEA

This report indicates that across our district, in reading, our students are in the 61st percentile for growth from fall to winter, and jumped from the 62nd percentile to the 66th percentile in achievement during that span. This means that GLPS students grew more than 61% of their peers nationally this year, and that our students’ current achievement levels are better than 66% of their peers. In math, our growth is in the 58th percentile, as we jumped from the 62nd to the 65th percentile in achievement over that timeframe. In short, this means that GLPS is showing better achievement than approximately ⅔ of all districts that take the NWEA nationally in both reading and math! We still have work to do to continue to show growth and achievement for all students, but clearly, we are building a strong academic foundation.

11th Grade PSAT-NMSQT

High school students do not typically take the NWEA, so we need to use different metrics to measure success there. One way to do so is to take a look at the PSAT-NMSQT, which is essentially a practice SAT test that juniors take in the fall. As you can see in the chart above, 66%, or around ⅔, of GLHS juniors scored at or above benchmark in reading and writing, which is consistent with our NWEA scores. The one outlier in this data set is the low performance on the math portion of the assessment, showing that only 29% of our juniors met or exceeded the benchmark. Some of this can be explained by the fact that not all students have access to Algebra 2 before taking this test, and the test has components of Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2 on it. However, it is also an indication that we need to continue to meet student needs in math and shore up gaps before they take the actual SAT in April.

While literacy and math are at the core of what we do here at GLPS, it is also important to note that we educate the whole child. To those ends, providing high-quality electives and extracurricular options are essential to developing well-rounded students. Over the last week, you may have seen us on the news for two very cool and innovative projects taking shape on the north end of our district in the Morris Property and the Original Wacousta building. I wrote about these a couple of weeks ago, but I encourage you to take a moment to watch these news stories and check out the slides we shared with the GLPS Board of Education in January. We are really excited about the potential opportunities of both of these initiatives.

Dave and Betty Morris School for Agricultural & Natural Sciences: News Story & Slides

Original Wacousta: News Story & Slides

That is all I have for this week. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to work with you and your children every day here at GLPS. We appreciate you and your support. Have a wonderful weekend, and as always, I am #proudtobeacomet!

Dr. Bill Barnes
Superintendent of Schools